The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods
by Kearra
Summary: As Link finds a young girl from Ikana who has traversed time and come to Hyrule, he finds himself drawn into the lives of the very gods of Hyrule. The result: life becomes more chaotic than ever for the Hero of Time and his friends.
1. Prologue

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Prologue**

Seiryu stared up at the sky in silence, feeling the wind against his face. A few clouds floated by lazily. He sighed. It was still amazing, reflecting over how his sisters created Hyrule. They had decided that everyone would help keep Hyrule a safe, stable realm, and each of their siblings had been given an area to claim as their own, and they were allowed to create a race of people that they could look after.

Koboku, being the eldest next to Din, Farore and Nayru, chose the forest. He was always the most nurturing of them, so living in the forest suited him well. He took on the form of a giant tree, sitting in the heart of the forest. The race he created was the race known as the Kokiri, which was a race of children who would stay forever young, living in the forest, protected by Koboku, who soon became known as the Great Deku Tree.

Suna was next, and she chose the desert, preferring the isolation. She created the Gerudo, a race of women that had had amazing physical capabilities that made them possibly the most dangerous people to face in hand-to-hand combat. After much protest from Din, Farore and Nayru, who were trying to explain the importance that males had to a tribe to help keep it stable, Suna grudgingly created one lone male, and she cast a spell over the Gerudo so that they would only bear girls (save for one male, who was born every one hundred years) and the Gerudo blood would never grow thin, despite the mingling of Hylian blood. Reluctantly, the three goddesses accepted this, much to Suna's delight.

Jabun preferred the lake to the south, although he was excited that the river cut through Hyrule, leading to the north. He went to the north, taking the form of a giant fish/whale. His divine powers helped keep the water clean, and because he resided in the source of Hyrule's water supply, the purity spread even to Lake Hylia. He created the Zoras, an aquatic race. In order for them to actually adapt to the environment, he constructed their bodies similar to those of fish, enabling them to live and breath underwater. However, he gave them predominant humanoid features so they could exist out of the water, and so they could defend themselves better against predators.

Volvagia, not wanting to be separated from Jabun, who was possibly his preferred sibling, he chose to reside in the volcano near Jabun's domain. Because there was no way normal people could live in such a habitat, he sculpted a race from the very rocks, enabling them to tolerate high temperatures, and even walk through shallow pools of lava. Also, due to the lack of proper vegetation and livestock on the mountain, they were able to eat rocks, giving them an endless supply of food.

And that left Seiryu. He did not have much to choose from, but Volvagia, in an act of kindness, said that Seiryu could have the land at the base of the mountain. That was fine with Seiryu. He did not want a large amount of area like Koboku, Suna or Jabun. That made it harder to keep track of people. He didn't want the race he created to suffer because he was unable to protect them. He had a problem making his own race of people. He looked at what his siblings had created, hoping for some idea. Copying Suna would give her more reason to hate him, and he just didn't like the idea of making people out of rocks and fish and such. He liked Koboku's idea of making a race of children, but he realized that children would not be good at defending themselves. So, all that was left were the Hylians, who were created by his sisters, Din, Farore, and Nayru.

He made a race that bore similar appearances to the Hylians, but they were better suited to use magic. They were the shadows of the Hylians, known as the Sheikah. The one feature that was shared by every Sheikain was the color of their eyes. Theirs were a brilliant shade of red. He gave them a symbol, a single staring eye. It had a symbolic meaning, which he didn't share with anyone. The rumor was that it was reminiscent of his past, which he tried to put behind him. Seiryu never denied it, but he would never say anything on the subject.

Seiryu sighed, standing, straightening his kimono. He ran his hands through his hair, which was naturally unkempt. He stretched his arms over his head, closing his eyes as he felt the warmth of the morning sun on his face. His hand rested on the branch above him, and he held it tightly, opening his eyes again.

"Lord Seiryu! Come down!"

Seiryu looked down. Kerra was standing at the base of the tree, looking up at him. She smiled, her red eyes shining like rubies. Seiryu smiled back, jumping off the branch and landing gracefully in front of her. She laughed softly as he grinned up at her. She was easily two and a half heads taller than him. He, for personal reasons he would never share, chose to remain in the form of a child at all times, although he was technically old enough to be considered an adult.

"How many times," Seiryu said, "must I tell all of you to stop calling me 'Lord' and 'Sir' and other such things? I'm not that important."

"But you _are_," Kerra said, smiling, "You created us. You are like a father to us."

"But I'm just a kid," Seiryu said, folding his arms behind his head.

"You may be one in appearance, but we know you are more than what you seem," Kerra said as she turned back towards the village. Seiryu started to follow her, but a chill ran down his spine and he turned. Something ominous was nearby. His gaze fell on the Shadow Temple. It felt like something was... leaking out of there. A powerful aura of a sort. Seiryu narrowed his eyes. The power waned, and eventually dissipated. He sighed, turning back to Kerra, who was staring at him in concern.

"...Are you...alright?"

"Yes, of course," Seiryu said, giving her a smile, "Now, let's head back." She nodded, returning the smile before turning and heading back to the village. Seiryu turned his head slightly to look at the temple. He then shook his head, and ran to catch up to Kerra.

'

Seiryu sat on the roof of one of the buildings, looking over the village in silence. The adults were working, tending to gardens, looking after livestock, and doing what they usually did for work, whether that be making clothes or weapons. The children were at play, running around and chasing each other. Most of the older girls stood and talked, and the younger ones played games like Tag with the boys. A few of the children waved to Seiryu, and he smiled, waving back. He was starting to think that being a god wasn't such a bad thing, especially because he was able to protect those he cared about.

"Seiryu!"

He started slightly, peering over the edge of the roof. A small group of children stood below him. They waved and he waved back. "Can you come play with us?" one of them asked. Seiryu grinned and nodded.

"Okay," he said, "I'll be down in a second!"

He jumped off the edge of the roof, landing a few feet away from them. "Sugoi!" one of them yelled, and he smiled, feeling his face burn slightly. It had only been a few centuries since he created the Sheikah, and yet he still wasn't used to being praised. He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. The children laughed. He was possibly the tallest of the group, being at the pysical age of ten while they were probably between the ages of five and seven.

"So," he said, "What're we playing?"

They exchanged glances and grinned mischievously. Seiryu watched them carefully and yelped as he was suddenly assaulted by a flood of cold water from above. He tensed, his eyes wide as he shivered from the cold. The children burst out laughing as he looked up, seeing a young girl on top of the roof. She had a bucket in her hands and was grinning from ear to ear.

"Sneaky," Seiry said with a smirk, shaking the water from his hair, "But I won't let you get away with it!" He cast a water spell, suspending it over their heads and releasing. They yelled as they were soaked, just as cold and wet as he was. He pulled on his eyelid and stuck his tongue out at them, turning on his heel and running down the hill, with the others in close pursuit.

He managed to elude them until he reached the center of the village. He suddenly stopped, his eyes wide as a shiver ran down his spine. His body tensed almost painfully. Something was there... something that seemed to defy the laws of the mortal realm. Suddenly, a hole appeared in midair, and he could sense something inside of it. He realized what it was and dashed forward as something fell from the hole, and he dove, catching it in his arms. He hit the ground, the inertia causing him to somersault twice before landing on his back. He groaned in pain, and sat up, looking to the thing in his arms.

It was a girl, possibly thirteen or fourteen years old. She had long brown hair that was pulled into two ponytails at the sides of her head. She wore a long blue tunic and brown slacks, and she had a red sash tied around her waist. She was unconscious, but unscathed thanks to Seiryu.

Seiryu lifted his head to look at the hole. He managed to glimpse it before it closed, leaving no sign of having been there in the first place. He looked back to the girl, who stirred in his arms, opening her eyes. They were an amazing shade of green, and they reminded him of emeralds. Her eyes widened and she looked like she was starting to panic, but he held her tightly.

"It's okay," he said softly, "Calm down. You're safe here." She stared at him in silence and nodded slightly. She closed her eyes, resting her head against his shoulder. Seiryu just held her in silence and she soon fell asleep in his arms.

...He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her somehow... or that, in some way, his destiny was tied to hers.

'

She awoke several hours later, finding herself laying in bed. It took her a moment to remember what happened, to remember where she was. She sat up, taking a deep breath as she shook her head, trying to clear it.

"...Feeling any better?"

She saw a boy sitting in a chair next to the bed, watching her carefully. He seemed to be ten years old, garbed in a simple black kimono. His black hair was rather untidy, barely brushing his shoulders, and nearly concealing his eyes. His eyes startled her. They were a piercing silver color that sent a chill down her spine at first. But she saw that they were full of wonder and curiousity, and she felt a bit more at ease.

"Yeah..." she said softly, holding her hand up to her head, "...What happened?"

"Honestly, I dunno," he replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the bed, "You just appeared out of thin air, and I managed to catch you when you fell."

"Oh," she replied, rubbing her eyes, "Okay... Where am I?"

"Um... Hyrule," the boy replied, "To be specific, this is Kakariko."

"Kakariko...?" She looked around in silence. Her gaze fell on a tapestry on the wall. It was black, with a silver eye design on it. Looking at it made her feel secure, but at the same time... sad. Like she wanted to cry. "...What's that symbol mean?" she asked, pointing to it. The boy looked at it, and then turned back to her.

"... If you promise not to tell anybody, I can tell you..." he said softly. She nodded, and he took a deep breath. "...Growing up, I was always a bit of a screw-up, always a coward hiding away from the things that scared me or brought me pain... When Hyrule was created, I chose to cast aside my fear, to be a proper guardian to those that look up to me." He looked away, staring at the far wall. "...I made that symbol to prove to my people that, no matter where I am, I am always watching over them." He looked at her again. "Enough about that..." he said softly, resting his head on his arms, "...I don't want to bore you with stories like that. You should sleep."

She started to protest but he pushed her back on the bed, holding his hand to her forehead. "Sleep..." he repeated, "You'll be fine..." She felt a strange warmth pass through her body, and she closed her eyes. She tried to open them again but they just felt so heavy. She sighed, her body relaxing. She felt him pull the blankets up over her shoulders, and she fell asleep shortly after.

'

Seiryu stood by the entrance to the graveyard in silence. He could sense it, that ominous presence from the day before. It disturbed him. Something was in the temple, threatening to escape. He shuddered, turning away and walking slowly towards the entrance of the village. This wasn't good. Whatever was going on, it was making him nervous. What could he do if something happened? He didn't want to see his people hurt.

"Seiryu?"

He turned to find Kerra standing beside him. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "...Is something wrong?" she asked. He looked up at her. She had a worried look in her eyes. He shook his head, giving her a small smile.

"No..." he said softly, "It's nothing." He turned back and lifted his head to look up at the sky.

"...What was it like, living in the Divine Realm?"

"...Not pleasant at all," he replied, lowering his head, this time looking at the ground, "...But that's probably because everyone thought of me as a demon... I never knew why... but they said that my eyes were the mark of the demon. Because everyone thought of me that way... I was... mistreated. I prefer being here. I feel like I can be respected as a person, and not treated like I'm lower than dirt."

Kerra hesitated, and placed her hand on his head. He looked up at her, startled by the gesture. "We would never treat you like that," she said softly, giving him a small smile, "You protect us, help us to support ourselves through the years, and can help us speak with those long gone. We are grateful, and we wish to repay the favor."

"There's no need," he said, returning the smile, "I'm just happy that I have people I can care for and look after. After years of neglect and abuse, suddenly being placed in an environment where I'm respected and liked...can be a bit overwhelming...and it could take more than just a few centuries to get used to it."

"...You will..." Kerra said, laughing softly, "Eventually."

"We'll see... about... that..." Seiryu's eyes widened and he pushed Kerra away. He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and he heard Kerra scream. He turned, feeling warm blood flowing from the wound, trickling down his arm. He saw a large man standing before him. He was black as ink, his clothes, his hair, his skin, his eyes... He was a Shadow, obviously from the Shadow Temple. It was the ominous presence he felt.

"_Lord_ Seiryu... Feh... You are nothing more... than a Demon..." the Shadow hissed, spitting at his feet, "Bastard offspring of Shinigami. You deserve the same fate as him."

"What the hell do you want?" Seiryu asked calmly, his silver eyes narrowing dangerously.

"_We_ want you dead," the Shadow replied, sneering, "You don't deserve to live... You deserve to die just like your father did. Have your soul ripped from your body and shattered into millions of tiny pieces."

"And why do you say that?" Seiryu asked.

"Demon..." the Shadow snarled, "You aren't worth my time... I'll just kill you now... just as I killed several villagers already." Seiryu's eyes widened, and the Shadow laughed. "Did that touch a nerve?" he asked, "You're too soft-hearted. You don't deserve to be a god!"

He lunged at Seiryu, who raised his left arm in reflex. The Shadow's claws raked against the inside of Seiryu's forearm, and the boy shouted with pain, the claw marks burning his flesh like acid. He stumbled backwards, his hand pressed against the wound. The Shadow smirked, grabbing him by the throat and holding him up so that he was several feet off the ground. Seiryu pulled at the Shadow's hands, but the Shadow merely tightened his grip.

"You are nothing," the Shadow hissed, "Just the unwanted bastard son of a demon."

Seiryu's vision dimmed slightly. The Shadow just laughed in his face. '_...Why aren't any of them helping me...?_' he wondered vaguely, '_...I protect them... and they leave me to suffer like this...? No... this is his doing... they can't come near him..._' He closed his eyes.

"...Demon..."

Something inside Seiryu snapped, and he opened his eyes, glaring at the Shadow. The Shadow watched in horror as the boy began to change, taking the form of a man, his feet touching the ground. Large silver wings protruded from his back, the silver color surprisingly tarnished. The irises of Seiryu's eyes were no longer silver, but white, and his hair had gone from black to silver. Seiryu grabbed the Shadow's throat, and the Shadow released him, startled.

"What... the hell...?!" he gasped.

Seiryu raised his other hand and plunged it through the Shadow's chest. The Shadow's eyes widened, and he went limp, his body melting away into nothingness. Kerra stood, slowly walking towards him.

"...S-Seiryu...?" she asked meekly, her eyes wide with fear. Suddenly, he stood before her, his hand closing around her throat. Her eyes widened as she pulled at his hand. She stared up at him in anguish. "S-Seiryu... W-Why are you d-doing this?" she gasped, stuttering. He didn't reply, but stared back at her blankly, apathetically. She remembered his words, what he'd said before the Shadow had attacked:

'_...everyone thought of me as a demon... I never knew why... but they said that my eyes were the mark of the demon._'

She felt tears welling up in her eyes as everything was enveloped in a red haze. "Seiryu..." she whispered, closing her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt his other hand on her neck. There was a loud snap, and he let her body fall to the ground. Seiryu turned, turning his gaze to the Sheikah that stood nearby, staring at him in horror. Some looked enraged, some fearful, some sickened, others a mix of the three. The children clung to their parents, their eyes wide with fear, tears streaming down their cheeks. How could this... this... monster be the caring guardian they all respected and cared for?

Seiryu sneered, kicking the body. It was then that he spoke, his voice hoarse and sounding as though two people spoke at once:

"_Watashi wa Shinigami no musuki.. Subete wa watashi no te ni yotte shine._"

'

It was maybe thirty minutes later that Seiryu regained consciousness. He awoke to find himself standing in the center of the village, covered in blood. He was no longer a child, but an adult. He was painfully aware of the wings protruding from his back, the flesh torn and cut in several areas. He was towering over a young girl, the one who had just appeared out of nowhere the day before.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked around. There were corpses everywhere, lying in pools of blood which stained the grass. The villagers that still lived stood at a considerable distance, many of them armed, and all of them staring at him fearfully. Perhaps what hurt most was the fear and pain in their eyes, but mostly the terror he saw in the girl's eyes.

He looked down at his bloodstained hands, his body trembling uncontrollably.

'_...I _am_... a demon..._'

He closed his eyes, fighting back tears. He took a few steps back and changed forms again. This time, he took the form of a dragon, his serpentine body a pale silvery color. He took to the sky, flying as fast as he could away from the village. He didn't care where he was going. He just wanted to get as far away as possible.

When he finally landed, he fled straight into a nearby cave, going as far in as he could until he reached a dead end. He collapsed, landing hard on his stomach. He pulled on his hair, keeping his eyes shut tight.

"...You messed up, didn't you? It happens. No one should blame you."

He opened his eyes, slowly sitting up. "...Who are you?"

"My name is Yugi," said the voice as a woman came into view. She was of fairly average height, her long blonde hair reaching past her waist, her eyes a pale silver, just like his. "I am your twin sister," she said, giving him a small smile, "I'm here to help you."

"How can anyone help me?" he choked, "I'm a demon... I always have been... I just destroyed more than half of the race I created. I ruined everything."

"Sh..." Yugi said, touching his cheek gently, "You had no control over what happened. The others survived, and they will rebuild their race. Having seen you change back, they will still respect you as their guardian deity." She kissed his forehead, pulling him into a sororal embrace. "Now... let us put this behind us... Everything is all right now... My brother... Kage..."

Seiryu closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

'_...Kage... That is who I am now... Seiryu exists no longer... And so I shall be known... as Kage..._'

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I just own Seiryu and Yugi, the humanoid forms of Suna, Jabun, Koboku and Volvagia, and Kerra. The unnamed girl belongs to Selphie Louise. .

Author's Notes: Okay, this is meant as a fic to intro my rp charas to This is just the prologue, and is not necessary to the storyline, but it gives you, the readers, a basic understanding of one of the characters, Kage, who, in the prologue, is known as Seiryu.  
That thing that Seiryu said after killing Kerra was in Japanese. If I got the right translation, it means, "I am the son of Shinigami. All shall die by my hand." The point of that is that Seiryu is the bastard son of the demon god of death, Shinigami, who murdered thousands of deities, and was executed for his crime.  
Also, at the end, think of Yugi as more of a second personality than a sis. She's not really there, but Seiryu can see and hear her. . And, uh, that's about it. Hope you enjoyed, I'll hopefully have chapter one up in a few days. Ja!

**Edit (8/25/09):** Changed Seiryu's explanation for the Sheikain eye design and omitted the tear for this time period. It's been bugging me for years, ever since I changed my stories of the gods to better fit the things witnessed in Ocarina of Time.


	2. Chapter One

The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods  
  
Chapter One  
  
Selphie awoke to find herself laying in a field, the night wind cool against her flesh. She was laying on her stomach, the scent of soft grass bringing her a mild sense of comfort. She turned onto her back, looking up at the stars.  
  
'_...I wonder where I've landed this time...?_'  
  
"So, you're finally awake? How are you feeling?"  
  
She turned her head slightly to look at the source of the voice. A young man sat a few feet away, next to a small fire. He was dressed in a green tunic with a matching cap, under which was golden blonde hair, which she could infer from seeing the unruly bangs that framed his face. Under his tunic he wore a white undershirt and leggings, and he wore gauntlets on his arms, and his boots were scuffed and worn from years of travel. His eyes were blue, and they bore no malice or ill will towards her.  
  
'_...Link...?_' she thought, remembering her friend from the future, from the world of the Great Sea. She shook her head, clearing the thought from her mind.  
  
"I-I'm fine," she said, still unable to get over the initial shock of this man's resemblance to her friend. He smiled, turning back to the fire.  
  
"That's good to hear," he said, setting out a plate, which held several large pieces of meat, "Have something to eat. You've been lying there for hours." Selphie sat up, crawling towards the fire, but sitting a short distance away from the man. He smiled, handing her the plate. She took it, giving him a small smile, and ate the meat rather quickly. "You must've been hungry," the man said with a small laugh.  
  
"It's been a while since I ate," Selphie said softly, setting the plate down. She watched him closely. "...Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Link," he replied. Her eyes widened slightly. Could this be?  
  
"What is this place, then? What year?" she asked, rather hastily. He raised one eyebrow in confusion.  
  
"This is Hyrule Field," he replied, "The year is 1153." Selphie did not reply, but stared at him in silence. So this was Hyrule... Then this man must be...  
  
"...I assume you're a time traveler?" His voice snapped her out of her reverie. She looked at him questioningly. "You asked me what year it was," he clarified, "Usually, only people who travel through time ask that question. I would know. I've done it before."  
  
"So you're the Hero of Time?" she asked.  
  
Link nodded, "So you've heard of me?"  
  
"Yes, and I've read about you," she replied.  
  
"So where are you from, and what year?" he asked casually, as though this was nothing new for him.  
  
"Um... that's hard to say, because I've traveled to many different times..." Selphie replied slowly, "Originally I was from Ikana. The year I first traveled through time was 658."  
  
"Ikana?" Link asked, mildly surprised, "So you're from the time Igos du Ikana reigned?"  
  
"Yes," Selphie asked, blinking, "How do you know about him?"  
  
"I went to Ikana seven or eight years ago," he replied, "A skullkid from the forest was trying to bring the moon down on Termina, so I had to release the giants of each region. I had to do a lot of things in Ikana before I could go to Stone Tower, such as fight King Igos and his guards, and put to rest the spirit of Captain Keeta-"  
  
"_Captain Keeta_?!" Selphie exclaimed, shocked.  
  
"Yes," Link replied with a nod, "Apparently much of Ikana was destroyed during a great war, back when King Igos still ruled. Everyone was killed, and the survivors fled. The souls of the dead still wander there, such as the Composer Brothers and the Garo."  
  
"Flat and Sharp?" Selphie asked, "...So everyone was killed?"  
  
"Well, it was probably long after you left. Flat and Sharp were adults when they died, and if you knew either of them as a peer, then it was probably a good ten to twenty years before they were killed," Link replied. Selphie nodded, and her eyes widened slightly.  
  
"Wait..." she said softly, "You said the souls of the Garo still wander?"  
  
"Yes," Link replied with a nod, "Bound eternally by their duty to spy on Ikana. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Just... remembering something," Selphie replied, her hands falling to the red sash around her waist, "...I met a Garo. He was dying, because he had been attacked for being considered a traitor because he did not think the Ikanans to be cold and egotistical like they did. He gave me this sash before dying, and he wanted me to keep it safe from the other Garo."  
  
"What's so special about it?" Link asked, pulling out a bottle. It was full of milk.  
  
"This," Selphie replied, holding out her hand. The bottle was pulled from Link's hands and it hovered a few inches in midair. Selphie gestured slightly, and the cork was pulled out of the bottle with a soft 'pop'. Link watched in silence as the bottle was returned to his hands, and he looked to Selphie.  
  
"So it gives you telekinetic powers?" he asked, taking a drink of the milk.  
  
"Yes," Selphie replied with a nod, "I wasn't very good at using them at first, but I've gotten better now. It's been two years since I got it."  
  
"I see..." Link replied, corking the bottle and putting it away. "Now that I have the chance to ask, what's your name?"  
  
"Selphie," she replied, slightly embarrassed at forgetting to introduce herself.  
  
"And how old are you?" he asked, "You seem a bit young to be travelling through time.  
  
"I'm fifteen," she replied, "I've been travelling through holes referred to as '_fissi en khronos_'."  
  
"Time portals, basically."  
  
"Yeah," Selphie said, nodding again.  
  
"Hm..." Link scratched his head thoughtfully, "Well, we should be getting some sleep. Tomorrow I'm heading to the mountain to visit a good friend of mine." He pointed to the mountain in the distance, and Selphie turned to look. Her eyes widened slightly. She recognized it from somewhere...  
  
"Is there a village at the base of the mountain?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Link replied, "Kakariko. Have you been there before?"  
  
"...Yes... For me it was a year ago," she replied, turning back to him, "...Do you know... of a time when Kakariko was destroyed... and most of its inhabitants were killed?"  
  
"I heard of it," Link replied softly, "I think that happened over a thousand years ago. Why?"  
  
"...No reason," Selphie said, laying down, "Let's sleep."  
  
Link stared at her in silence for a moment but laid down as well. He watched her for a moment, and finally closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.  
  
'  
  
'_...She's here... I sense her... I... remember..._'  
  
Yugi watched Kage closely, her eyes narrowing slightly. Kage's expression was hard to read, and his eyes seemed dull and lifeless. "Kage..." she said softly, placing her hands on his shoulders, "Stay calm... You've done so well... Now is not the time to backslide..."  
  
"Shut up..." Kage growled, a dangerous note in his voice. He pushed her away, but she took a firm hold of his shoulders again.  
  
"Dammit, Kage, _listen_ to me!" she said, trying to keep herself calm, "If you mess up now, there will be no stopping it this time! If you do this again, you'll destroy everything, and they'll execute you for sure-!"  
  
"I said, _shut up_!"  
  
She was thrown against the wall. She grunted loudly when her head struck the rock. She glared at him. "Kage-!"  
  
"I'm tired of listening to you," Kage said, grabbing her by the throat, "You're not even real. It's time I did things on my own. All you've done is keep me in this hole for over one thousand years..."  
  
"I did it to keep you safe," she spat, "I did it to protect everyone from you until you got your powers under control. You don't know how to control them, Kage."  
  
"All because people failed to realize that if they helped me to keep my demon blood in check, I wouldn't be a threat to them," Kage snapped back, "Nobody cares about me! They victimized me for what my father was, for what they _assumed_ I would be! Because of that, I didn't know how to keep myself under control! They're _dead_, Yugi!"  
  
"I know that, Kage..." Yugi said softly, "And I'm trying to keep it from happening again. Just calm down and listen..."  
  
"No," Kage said, tightening his grip, "I'm tired of listening to you." He threw her against the wall, and she hit her head again, this time slumping to the floor, unconscious. Kage scowled and spit on the ground. "I'm not listening to anyone anymore. If they insist on calling me a demon, I'll give them a demon." He kicked her once, and stormed out of the cave.  
  
'  
  
"I'm guessing your friend is a Goron?" Selphie asked as she and Link climbed Death Mountain. She tripped on a rock, causing her to stumble, but she caught herself before she fell.  
  
"The leader, actually," Link replied, pausing a moment to let her catch up, "I've known him since I was ten, back when I first started out on my adventure. I needed to get a precious item from him in order to complete my quest. The item was the Goron's Ruby, and he couldn't part with it easily. I got it in exchange for saving the lives of his people, and, in addition, he and I became sworn brothers."  
  
"What happened that made them need to be saved?" Selphie asked.  
  
"Well, there were two occasions, the first being what I just told you about," Link answered thoughtfully, "The Gorons here get their rocks from the Dodongo's Cavern, which, I have heard, hadn't been such a dangerous place before I came. But shortly before I came, the Dodongos had been revived, and a giant boulder had been put in front in front of the cavern. As a result, the Goron people were starving."  
  
"So you went in, killed the Dodongos, and made it safe again?"  
  
"Pretty much," Link said, scratching his head, "It wasn't much, but I couldn't just let them die."  
  
"'Wasn't much'?" Selphie asked with a smirk, "You killed Dodongos, saved the entire Goron race, and continued on your quest, all at the age of ten? That's more than you think."  
  
"If you say so," Link said, shrugging.  
  
"What was the other occasion?" Selphie asked.  
  
"Huh? Oh. That actually happened... less than a year ago, I think," Link said slowly as he reflected back on the incident, "An ancient dragon had been revived, and the Gorons were going to be eaten."  
  
"So, of course, you had to play the Hero and save them all," Selphie said with a soft laugh, "I'd read about the Hero of Time, but I never expected to actually meet him."  
  
"Well, life's just ironic that way." Link smiled as they reached the entrance to a cave, "Here we are: Goron City." He led Selphie inside, and she looked around in awed silence. Link led her down several sets of stairs, leading her to the center of the city, to a large doorway. Inside was a large, brightly-lit room with a Goron statue. A large Goron stood in front of it. He was fierce in appearance, with what seemed to be a permanent scowl on his face, and a mane of white hair. For a Goron, he was possibly middle-aged. When he saw Link, he grinned and took a step forward.  
  
"Brother!"  
  
"Hey, Darunia," Link said as the Goron swept him into a fierce hug. Selphie took a small step to the side, watching in silence. For some reason, this Goron reminded her of...  
  
'_No. No remembering._'  
  
She found herself feeling lightheaded, but she did her best to ignore it. Link and Darunia had broken the embrace, and Darunia turned his attention to Selphie.  
  
"So who's your friend?" he asked, looking to Link.  
  
"Her name's Selphie, and she's from Ikana," Link said, "She's travelled through time, and landed here. So she has no family or friends to rely on."  
  
Darunia rolled his eyes at Link's obvious attempt to play on his emotions. He turned to Selphie, smiling warmly at her. She tried to return it, but was starting to feel ill. "You okay?" she heard Darunia ask.  
  
"I... I need some fresh air..." she replied, turning to leave. She fled from the room before Link could follow her. Once she was outside, she sighed, taking a deep breath. '_...It's been years..._' she thought, closing her eyes, '_To think that remembering would have that effect on me..._' She opened her eyes, looking around in silence. She saw a man standing at the edge of the cliff, staring at her in silence.  
  
"...It's been a while," he said softly, "...Might I ask why a lovely lady such as yourself would be doing in a place like this?"  
  
Her eyes widened slightly. She recognized him, his voice, his silver hair and eyes, his dragon wings...  
  
"...It's been a year..." she said coolly. He smiled kindly.  
  
"...I have waited to see you again," he said, his voice calm and gentle, "...Because... you're the only one who can help me."  
  
"Help you?" she asked, startled.  
  
"Yes," he replied with a slight nod, "You're the only one who can-"  
  
"Selphie?" Selphie turned to see Link and Darunia emerge from the city. They stopped short when they noticed the man, watching him uneasily. "Who are you?" Link asked slowly, his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword.  
  
"I am Kage..." the man replied slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly, "...And I'd advise against interfering..." He stretched his wings slightly. "...The wrath of a god is not something you'd want to suffer."  
  
"A... God?" Link asked, confused.  
  
"Yes..." Kage said with a smirk, his silver eyes flashing, "A God. To be specific, the guardian deity of the Sheikah." He glanced at Selphie, his smirk fading. He held out his hand, and a wall of energy formed, keeping her separated from Link and Darunia. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked to Kage. "...Wouldn't want you to get hurt..." he said softly, turning back to Link.  
  
Link drew his sword and shield, watching Kage uneasily. Was this man really a god? If he was, Link was at a disadvantage. Link continued to watch Kage. Suddenly, Kage tilted his head, and his neck made a sickening cracking noise. Then, he straightened again, and his jaw dropped. In a split second, Link saw a sudden jet of flame spew forth, in a manner that reminded him of a dragon. Link dove forward, managing to dodge it. He looked up at Kage in horror as the flames dispersed, and Kage smirked at him through a veil of smoke.  
  
"You've dealt with a dragon before, haven't you, _Hero_?" he asked, a look of madness crossing over his face. He laughed maniacally, and Selphie cringed, remembering the massacre in Kakariko, which, for her, had happened only a year ago. She watched as Kage leapt at Link, a sword appearing in his hand. Kage swung his sword in a downward arc, and Link raised his shield to block, parrying with his own attack, which just barely managed to cut Kage's cheek, right below his left eye. Kage smirked, aiming a kick for Link's stomach. Link grunted as he staggered backwards, his hand flying to his middle as he struggled to regain his breath.  
  
"How the hell do we deal with a psycho like that?" Darunia asked, narrowing his eyes as he helped Link to keep his balance.  
  
"I don't know..." Link said, "But if he isn't some random psycho and he really _is_ a god, I'd say I'm screwed..."  
  
Kage sneered, spitting on the ground. "Baka," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. Selphie watched him, and then turned her attention to the energy barrier that separated her from the others. She picked up a rock and threw it at the barrier. There was a loud snap, and the rock fell to the ground. Scowling, Selphie decided to try a different tactic. Using her telekinesis, she picked up a large rock and hurled it at the barrier. The rock struck the barrier with enough force it shattered, sending rocks flying everywhere. The good news was that the barrier broke as well. The bad news: Link and Daru were now being pelted by a barrage of stones.  
  
Kage took this opportunity and ran forward, his sword raised above his head. Selphie ran out in front of him, standing between him and Link. She closed her eyes as the sword came down, but she barely felt the tip of the blade nudge her flesh when she opened her eyes, staring up at Kage in surprise. He was staring at her, wide-eyed, the expression on his face similar to that of fear. He quickly backed away, continuing to stare at her.  
  
"No... Not again... Not... again..."  
  
He scowled, shutting his eyes tightly. Link, Selphie, and Darunia stared at him in confusion, watching as he backed towards the edge of the cliff. Less than half a minute later, he opened his eyes again, and a young child appeared in his arms. The boy seemed to be ten years old, dressed in a black kimono, his skin pale and his an unkempt black mass that nearly concealed his face.  
  
"Whoa, where'd the kid come from?!" Darunia exclaimed.  
  
"No...!" Selphie cried, recognizing the boy.  
  
"...Now to rid myself of you forever," Kage said softly, addressing the child, "...The bottom of the lake seems like a suitable place for you..." With that, he stepped back, and fell over the edge of the cliff. Darunia cursed aloud and the three hurried over to the cliff and peered over the edge.  
  
Kage was nowhere to be seen.

'

Disclaimer: Selphie belongs to Selphie Louise, and, if you couldn't tell, is the unnamed girl from the prologue. Kage and Yugi belong to me. End of story.

Author's Notes: ... Not much to say here. o.o Much of this was from many scattered rpgs that Selphie and I took part in, and much of it was radically different from what I have here. Hopefully, this idea will stick, and I'll be able to work with it. . Btw, Kage and the kid in his arms are the same person, but Selphie doesn't know that. She didn't see Seiryu change into a demon. o.o So as far as she knows, they're different people.


	3. Chapter Two

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Two**

Kage stood on the small island with the two stone pillars. He stood between them, staring at the water in silence. He sighed, closing his eyes.

'_...Have I finally succeeded...?_' he thought, '_...Am I finally...free...?_'

He sank to his knees, cupping water in his hands. He waited in silence. ...No... He could still feel it.

"Kage!!"

Hearing Link's voice, Kage rose to his feet, but did not turn around. Obviously the Hero and his friends had warped here using the Ocarina of Time...

"Kage, where's the boy?!" Darunia demanded.

Kage shrugged. "It matters not," he replied, "That 'boy' was nothing more than a soulless husk created by magic. It was meant to contain a part of me that I never wanted to know about..."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Selphie shouted at him, her words cutting into him painfully, "You're just a cold-blooded murderer! You massacred an entire village! Demon!"

Kage turned to face her. Link and Darunia were both confused by her words, but stared at him with equal hatred. "Feel free to search," Kage said, extending one arm to point to a specific area, "It won't do you any good, as you will find that the boy never had any life in him to begin with."

Link glanced to Darunia, who nodded slightly. Removing his sword and shield, Link dove into the water, swimming towards the area Kage had pointed out. While underwater, he struggled to pull his Zora tunic on, to buy him more time. He searched the bottom for any signs of the boy. He didn't know how much time he had.

Selphie was glaring daggers at Kage, who stared back blankly, his face expressionless. Darunia grimaced. '_If he's so calm after drowning a kid... Dammit... He sickens me... He just killed an innocent child!_' His thoughts drifted to his own son, and he scowled darkly. '_...I'll kill him... No child deserves to die..._'

"...You and I have much to discuss... young lady..." Kage said, stepping off the island. He hovered an inch above the water, and slowly floated over to them. Selphie took an involuntary step backwards, and Darunia stepped out in front of her to shield her from Kage's view. Kage landed on the island they stood on, watching them carefully. "...Move aside..."

"No," Darunia replied shortly, glaring at Kage. Kage merely sighed, holding out one hand. The air suddenly seemed to pulse, and Darunia fell backwards, almost landing on top of Selphie. Selphie screamed as Kage suddenly appeared beside her, wrapping one arm around her waist.

"Let me go!" she shrieked, punching his shoulder. He did not react, but held her tightly.

"Dammit, Kage," Darunia grunted, struggling to get to his feet, "You sick bastard, leave her alone!"

"...I'd advise you not call me that," Kage said warningly, glaring at Darunia, "And keep in mind you're in the middle of the lake. And, if I remember correctly, Gorons sink like _stones_." He planted his foot on Darunia's chest, the impact sending the Goron leader sprawling. He rolled towards the water, and Selphie's eyes widened. Struggling to remain calm, her arm flew out, and Darunia stopped mere inches from the water. She slowly levitated him back onto the island, setting him down next to the tree. Kage watched in mild amusement before grabbing her chin and turning her head so she faced him.

"Very clever," he said calmly, "Now you're coming with me."

Selphie's eyes widened and she shrieked. "NO!" Her cries fell on deaf ears, however, and she and Kage vanished in an instant. Darunia cursed as he slowly rose to his feet. He hit the tree with one fist, causing it to shake so hard that it creaked, threatening to break or fall over. He scowled, closing his eyes.

'_Dammit..._' he thought darkly, '_I've failed... Now Selphie's alone with that... that... psycho..._' He growled, sinking to his knees. He sat at the tree's base, waiting in silence for Link to resurface. He only waited for half a moment, as Link was soon standing before him, thoroughly soaked, and holding the child in his arms.

"Where's Selphie?" Link asked, sounding as though he was out of breath.

"She's gone," Darunia replied, "He took her to who knows where."

Link grimaced, but knelt down in front of Darunia, setting the child on the ground. The child wasn't breathing. Darunia reached out to touch the child's cheek. Surprisingly, it was neither warm nor cold. It felt... strange. Almost like it wasn't real.

"Kage was telling the truth," Link sighed, "This boy is nothing more than an empty shell..."

"And he's just like Kage..." Darunia added, "You feel it, right?"

"Yeah..." Link murmured, nodding in assent, "Maybe Kage was being truthful... about wanting to rid himself of whatever part he didn't want to know about..."

"But what part is that?" Darunia asked. His mind flew back to Selphie and he shook his head. "Never mind that! We need to find Selphie!"

"Right," Link said with a quick nod. He looked back to the child, and cried out. The child was now transparent. Slowly, the child began to disappear, and was gone in moments. Link and Darunia exchanged glances. Then, without another word, they rose to their feet and hurried across the bridge to start the search for Selphie.

'

Selphie awoke to find herself laying in a bed. When she remembered the incident at the lake, she panicked, fearing the thought of what might have happened while she was unconscious. She tried to sit up, but found she was tightly wrapped in a blanket. She looked down at it in confusion.

'_...What the hell?_'

Slowly, she managed to unwravel the blanket, finally freeing herself. She felt normal, and she didn't hurt anywhere... Perhaps nothing had happened. She looked around in silence. The room she was in was small, dimly lit, and was filled with several small toys meant for a young child.

'_I wonder who lives here..._'

She started slightly, hearing voices in the next room. She climbed out of the bed, slowly making her way towards the door. She could hear two distinct voices. One was Kage's, and the other was that of a woman.

"You have to tell her, Kage..." the woman's voice said, "There's no way she'll help you if she's constantly afraid of you."

"If I _did_ tell her, she'd be even _more_ afraid," Kage replied bitterly, "Who can trust the child of a demon? Besides, I'm not even sure why I brought her here."

"You brought her here because you thought she could help," the woman said soothingly, "Why?"

"...Because she somehow managed to pull me out of my demonic state during the massacre..."

"But she didn't do anything."

"I know. That's why I'm confused. I'm so volatile like this. It's like walking on the sharp edge of a sword... Too far in any direction and everything goes to hell. And yet, every time I see her, somehow everything is much easier, like everything has slowed down so I can take control of myself again."

"Exactly," the woman said, a small smile audible in her voice, "That is why you should tell her. She might be a bit more understanding than you think."

Selphie pushed the door open. She saw Kage sitting in a chair. She noticed that his wings were gone, and his hair had changed to black. It looked like he was talking to someone, but there was nobody there. It was possibly a split second later when she realized that he was the source of both voices.

"I'm not telling her. I'm not telling anyone," Kage said bitterly, his voice his own, "I've had to endure my father's shadow for several millenia... I'm not going to tell people who are oblivious so that they'll hate me more."

"She's not like the others," the woman's voice said, "She is truly a caring soul. How else would her very presence be able to calm your demon side?"

"I don't know..."

"That's because you're afraid to find out."

"Why the hell-?"

"You're afraid that if you get too close, you'd drive her away. So you'd rather not get close at all to avoid the pain of abandonment."

"Yugi..."

"Speaking of which, she's standing right over there, and from the looks of it, she's heard the whole thing."

Kage jumped and wheeled about to face Selphie, who started, her eyes widening as she watched Kage. They were silent for quite a while. Then, Selphie took a step forward, and Kage leapt from the chair, backing away from Selphie. She hesitated, and took another step toward him. He took a step back, matching her pace.

'_...Is he... afraid of me?_' she wondered, staring at him in confusion.

She watched him carefully before she finally spoke. "...How long have you been like that?" she asked.

"...Been like what?" Kage asked uneasily.

"...Had a split personality..." she said, but almost immediately she wished she hadn't said it. As she tried to think of a better response, she watched as Kage frowned and opened his mouth to speak. He quickly shut it, and stared at her for a moment before finally replying.

"...Since... the massacre..." he said softly, "...When I ran away... Yugi was created... and she's been... looking after me ever since that day."

"...And explain exactly why I'm here and why you don't seem at all threatening, unlike what you displayed earlier."

"...It's a long story... And one I'd rather not tell."

"I have all the time in the world," Selphie said, mainly referring to the fact that she was here by his choice, and not her own, "...And I'm willing to listen."

"...I descend from a demon, as you probably already figured out," Kage said, rather hastily, and obviously skipping over several things that he did not care to reveal to her, "As a result, I was constantly mistreated as a child, and never learned to control my demon powers. I was trying to get over thousands of years worth of stress due to said abuse, and the attack from the Shadow pushed me over. As a result, I went crazy, murdering any and all people I could get my hands on."

"...Then why didn't you kill me?"

"..." Kage opened his mouth to speak, but he faltered, frowning as he thought hard about his response. A moment passed, and Selphie knew he didn't have one.

"...You said you wanted my help," Selphie said calmly, sitting down in a nearby chair, "Exactly what do you need my help with?"

Kage was silent for a moment before he replied. "Ever since that day, my demon blood has been getting the better of me... It has been difficult to control it, but I have managed somehow. However... every time I've berserked and lost control, I've managed to regain my senses whenever I was aware of your presence..." He frowned. "That sounds... crazy. But it's true."

Selphie nodded slightly, remembering the expression on his face when she stepped in the way of his attack back on Death Mountain. She wasn't his intended target. Her eyes narrowed. He had tried to avoid the fight in the first place, but when Link refused to leave them alone, Kage had set up the barrier... to keep Selphie out of the way, and to protect her from any possible attacks.

"I believe you, but what does that have to do with you needing my help?" she asked.

"...I wanted you to stay with me... until I could get my powers under control," Kage replied, somewhat meekly, "...But it was a selfish decision, and I didn't give you any choice in the matter..."

'_Yeah, you could say that,_' Selphie thought, rolling her eyes inwardly. Kage frowned, and for a moment Selphie wondered if she'd actually voiced her thoughts without knowing it.

"...And I've decided to take you back..." Kage concluded, slowly taking a step towards her, "...I have no right to keep you here, and I think you should be with your friends." He held his hand out for her. She stared at it for a minute before taking it in hers. She noted that he was trembling slightly, but did not comment. She hesitated, and stood on the balls of her feet, giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"...I'm sorry."

'

"Dammit, where the hell could they have gone?!" Darunia yelled, "It's been hours since they vanished!"

"We have to keep looking," Link said, "Who knows what he might do to her..."

"If he does anything to her, I'll break his spine in two," Darunia growled, cracking his knuckles. Link grimaced. He'd never seen Darunia so mad. Then again, he'd never been in this kind of situation before, either.

"...Let's worry about that later..." Link said softly, pulling on Darunia's arm, "Right now, let's just worry about finding them."

Elsewhere, halfway across Hyrule field, Kage and Selphie had reappeared, and Kage quickly released Selphie's hand, taking a few steps away from her. Selphie watched him in silence for a moment. He was still shaking.

"You're safe now..." he said softly, "I'd advise you find your friends... And get as far away from me as possible..."

"Kage..."

"Just... go..." Kage clenched his fist. He felt strange... like he was being torn in two. Literally. Selphie sighed softly and reached forward to touch his hand, but he quickly pulled his away, bowing his head. Selphie frowned.

"...Be careful... I'd advise you to go back where you came from..." she said, "...There are others who can help you..."

Kage didn't reply, and Selphie turned on her heel and fled as fast as she could. Maybe she'd find Link and Darunia elsewhere...

Kage watched her leave and sighed heavily. He didn't know what this feeling was. He was being drawn to her for some reason. Ever since he'd met her, he felt like he knew her. Perhaps he had met her before, in a previous life of hers. As he was the descendant of a demon, he could easily sense souls, so him being a god of Shadows suited him well. It'd be understandable if he had seen her soul before...

"Kage!"

'_...Just what I don't need..._' he thought, '_Annoyances to push me over the edge..._' He turned, but found Darunia's hand closing around his throat, lifting him maybe two feet off the ground. He stared into Darunia's eyes. They were full of hatred and fire. Beside him stood Link, his sword drawn, ready to attack if Kage struggled.

"Where's Selphie?" Link demanded.

Kage didn't reply. Darunia tightened his grip, and Kage grunted, feeling as though his neck would break.

"Let him go Darunia," Link said to the Goron. Darunia growled, but complied by dropping him, and Kage landed with a soft thud, but any chance of escape was denied by Link's sword against his throat. "Where is Selphie?" Link repeated, his blue eyes flashing coldly as he glared at Kage.

"You just missed her," Kage said, "She just left in that direction."

"You let her go?"

"No, she escaped," Kage replied sarcastically, "Of course I let her go."

"Why did you take her in the first place?" Darunia demanded, "If you hurt her-!"

"I did nothing to her, and I would advise you keep out of my business," Kage snapped, pushing Link's sword away. He rose to his feet.

"We're not finished with you," Link said, raising the sword to Kage's chest.

"But _I_ am finished with _you_," Kage replied, again ignoring the threat and walking away as quickly as he could. Link snarled, driving his sword into the ground and pulling out his bow, nocking an arrow. He then took careful aim, and released the arrow. It flew with amazing precision, and struck Kage in the shoulder. Kage flinched, stopping dead in his tracks.

"...Foolish mortal... Do you really wish to die so badly...?"

Kage pulled the arrow from his shoulder, and warm blood soaked his kimono.

"So be it."

He hunched his shoulders, and the air around him grew cold. His skin became hard and scaly, taking on a silver sheen. His hair went silver once more, growing out past his knees. He fell down on all fours, his body seeming to stretch as he knelt there, and a tail sprouted from his back end. When he turned to face them, Link and Darunia found themselves face-to-face with a dragon.

"Ho...ly... shit..." Darunia breathed, watching Kage uneasily, "Maybe he _is_ a god..."

"I don't care," Link replied, putting away his bow and withdrawing his sword from the ground, "He's a threat to Hyrule, and it's my job as Hero to protect this land and its people."

"But if he's a god, you don't stand much of a chance...!"

"Everyone has a weakness, Darunia," Link said, grabbing his shield, "You just need to find it."

Kage roared and took flight, circling them like a vulture. Link just watched him in silence. He was looking for an opening. Suddenly, Kage dove at them, extending razor-sharp claws. Link and Darunia dove, managing to avoid the attack.

"Darunia!" Link yelled, "Get out of here and find Selphie! I'll deal with Kage!"

"I'm not leaving you here!" Darunia yelled back.

"JUST GO!"

Without further argument, Darunia curled into a ball and rolled off. Kage turned to watch him and glared. Link took this opportunity to shift the Master Sword's position, and he hurled it at Kage with as much power as he could muster. It was a risk, but he had to divert Kage's attention from Darunia. Kage caught on and turned his head, catching the blade in his jaws. He growled, and clamped his teeth down as hard as he could, and thus shattered the sword. Link cried out as the sword fell to the ground, having been broken into at least three pieces.

Link quickly pulled out his bow, drawing an arrow. He quickly took aim, and let the arrow fly, but it missed, whizzing by Kage's head by at least three inches. Kage growled, opening his mouth wide. He let loose a jet of flames, which quickly consumed Link. The Hero fell forward, rolling on the ground to extinguish the flames. He had just barely climbed to his feet when he saw Kage, in human form, standing before him.

"Now die."

Link grunted as he felt Kage's sword pierce his chest, and he stared up into those cold silver eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Then, once Kage withdrew his sword, he collapsed, landing on his back. He closed his eyes, and he relaxed as the cold overwhelmed him.

Kage stared at Link for a moment before it finally hit him. His eyes widened, and he dropped his sword.

"Oh no..." he groaned, dropping to his knees beside Link, "Not again... No... Tell me I didn't..."

His hand flew to Link's neck, checking for a pulse. Then, he pressed his hand to Link's chest. He stared at Link in horror as cold reality hit him, enveloping him with a sense of dread, and fear.

Link was dead.

'

Author's notes: As I said before, this is meant to be a sequel to Selphie Louise's Tome of Lineage! Go read it!

As I said, I rewrote the ending! I hope you like it! Yes, Reaka, Link's dead. So sad, but it had to be.

...If you and Link were meant to have kids, don't read any more! You will hate me for what is to come!

...What's that? Oh. Nothing. Nothing. Hehehe.


	4. Chapter Three

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Three**

Link groaned, shifting uneasily. He opened his eyes, but all he saw was darkness. At first, he wasn't sure he'd opened his eyes, at least until he reached up to touch his face and ended up poking his eye.

"Ow..."

What startled him was that he didn't feel pain. He didn't feel anything but cold. He tried to sit up, but found himself unable to do so. In fact, when he reached back to brace himself with his arms, his hands touched nothing. He was suspended in nothingness. There was no up or down, no back or front. Just endless space.

"...Where am I...? I thought I'd... died..."

"Technically you did," a woman's voice replied, "Stabbed through the chest by my delinquent brother." The owner of the voice appeared before him. She was garbed in a red tunic with detached sleeves that reached her wrists, and white pants. On her head was something like a gold circlet with a triangular ruby on her forehead. Her eyes were a deep crimson, her hair a much more vibrant hue, and reaching shoulder's length.

"Who... are you...?" Link asked slowly. It almost hurt to talk. His body burned all over, despite the piercing cold. His chest hurt most, around where Kage had stabbed him.

"I am the Goddess of Power, Din," the woman replied, giving him a small smile.

"...Goddess... you said that I was stabbed by your brother... That would mean that Kage..."

"...is a God," another voice finished his sentence for him. This time, the person that appeared wore long blue robes, and several gold bangles on her wrists and neck. She, too, wore a head ornament, but it was more like a necklace in structure, with a thin chain, and a sapphire in place of a ruby. She had waist-length blue hair that hung loosely, her long bangs framing her face, which was gentle, her blue eyes holding years of wisdom. Link assumed this woman was Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom.

"So Kage wasn't lying..." Link breathed, "...But that still leaves a lot... unanswered..."

"And he's the only one who can answer our questions," Nayru sighed, "So Seiryu has taken on a new name... 'Kage'..."

"That's not very original for the God of Shadows to name himself 'shadow'," Din said with a shrug.

"Well, I'm sure he has his reasons." This time, it was a woman dressed in a long green dress. The collar hung loosely from her shoulders, and the skirt had two layers, the layer underneath being of a darker shade, and it could easily be seen through the slit in the front of the top layer. She wore a head ornament similar to Nayru's but the triangular gem was an emerald. Her eyes were a brillant shade of green, as was her hair, which was chin-length. She was obviously Farore, the Goddess of Courage.

"...I'm confused..." Link said, "...Why are you here...? And exactly where _is_ this...?"

"This is the void between realms..." Nayru replied, "As Din said, you _did_ die, but it wasn't your time."

"...?" Link stared at her in confusion, but said nothing.

"Everyone has an approximate date of death, and this wasn't meant to be your time to die," Farore said softly, resting her hand on his shoulder. Link was comforted by her touch. It was gentle, motherly.

"We are here to restore your life," Din said, "As Hero of Time, your job is to protect Hyrule. Right now, the God of Shadows is threatening to destroy it. It could be difficult, but you must stop him long enough for us to retrieve him."

Link nodded. He thought over what she said, and he closed his eyes. '_...So that's his weakness... that should work..._'

He opened his eyes again. Nayru now had something in her hand. It was an amulet, a golden crescent on a chain. She placed it around his neck, and rested her hand on his chest, over the crescent.

"This Chronos's Crescent," she said, "The artifact of the God of Time. This should give strength to your powers over Time, and bind itself to your life force. This will allow you to live a long life, granted you aren't killed by outside forces and that you never remove it. If you ever remove this amulet, your soul will be ripped from your body, and all will be for naught."

Link nodded, feeling slightly uneasy. But he was being given another chance at life. How many could honestly say they've been given that chance?

The three goddesses stood around him, joining hands. They closed their eyes, chanting in an ancient language that he didn't recognize. Each goddess was enveloped by an aura of her given color, red, green, or blue. Then, Link was enveloped in a blinding light that blocked everything out, even the goddesses. Suddenly, the true pain of Link's wounds came back at him full force, and he was thrown back into unconsciousness again.

'

Kage stood several feet away from Link's body, facing away from the corpse. He pulled on his hair, whispering to himself, trying to keep himself from panicking. He crouched down, bowing his head as he felt terror rising up inside him.

'_How could I do this again...?! I'll be executed for sure this time! And my siblings will get nothing but trouble because they defended me for all these years...! Dammit, why does it have to be like this?! I didn't want to end up like _him_!!!_'

"Kage...?!"

"JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Kage snapped, not caring who'd said it. It was a girl's voice, but he couldn't tell if it was Yugi's or Selphie's. He was too distraught to care. He didn't want to risk hurting, or killing, anyone else.

"What did you do?!" he heard Darunia's bellow, and he was lifted off the ground by the back of his kimono. He pulled away, and somehow was released from Darunia's grip. He staggered, but caught himself before he fell. He turned to face Darunia, and he saw that he'd obviously found Selphie, as she stood beside him. Selphie looked upset, and Darunia looked enraged. Both expressions were understandable, as he'd just killed their friend.

"Kage, how could you do that?!" Selphie asked, obviously trying to hold Darunia back.

"I told you that I can't control my demon powers," Kage replied bitterly, "and my dragon blood comes from my demon ancestry. I literally lost control, and I killed him in retaliation of his attack."

"Bullshit!" Darunia snapped. He would have lunged at Kage, but Selphie held him back using her telekinesis.

"Kage, your stories are questionable at best, so how can you expect us to believe you?" Selphie asked.

"...Let me ask you something: Do you honestly think I'd _want_ to kill the only people who respected me?" Kage asked bitterly, "Do you think I _want_ to be executed? Do you think I _want_ my siblings to suffer because I turned out to be just as bad as my father?!" He clenched his fists. "Trust me, I don't like what I am, but this is how it is! If you knew anything about what I've endured, you'd understand better. I didn't want to kill anybody, especially because my family would get in trouble for defending me."

Selphie grimaced as she remembered Kage's words when she'd met him: '_Because everyone thought of me that way... I was... mistreated._'

Kage's gaze fell on something behind them and his eyes widened slightly, a strange look crossing over his face. Selphie and Darunia turned, and saw Link standing behind them, his bow out and a light arrow drawn back, aimed directly for Kage. They stepped away, to stay out of the line of fire. Kage's gaze locked with Link's. Selphie noticed that neither one of them bore hatred or malice towards the other, and their faces were expressionless.

Kage glanced at the light arrow, and then looked back to Link. "So..." he said calmly, "You intend to kill me?"

"Not to kill you..." Link replied, "Just to stop you. A request from your sisters."

"They put you up to the task?" Kage asked, sounding mildly amused, "...Fine. Shoot me now. Maybe you'll get lucky and kill me before I'm scheduled to be executed."

Link didn't reply, but released the arrow. It struck Kage square in the chest, and he fell backwards, landing hard on his back. However, standing in his place was a woman, seemingly around his age. She had long blonde hair and silver eyes, and wore a simple, sleeveless dress that was tied off at the waist. Link, Darunia and Selphie stared at her with wide eyes. Suddenly, something clicked in Selphie's mind.

"...Yugi...?!"

The woman didn't reply but turned to Kage, who was unconscious. She grabbed the arrow by the shaft and pulled it from his chest. Kage cried out as it was withdrawn, but fell limp immediately afterwards. The woman then scooped him up into her arms like a child, and turned back to face them.

"Yes, I am Yugi..." she replied, looking to Selphie.

"But... you were just... just..." Selphie stuttered, unsure of how to phrase her statement.

"I am more than just a split personality," Yugi replied, "I was killed before I could be born, and Kage was conceived almost immediately afterwards, before my soul could go anywhere. As a result, he and I shared a body, but my soul remained dormant."

"And you woke up shortly after the massacre..." Selphie said, her eyes widening as it all fell together, "...And you were the one who kept him sane."

Yugi nodded.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Darunia asked.

"You'll find out eventually," Yugi said, "Once my sisters arrive to take Kage back, I'll have the time to explain everything to you." Her gaze fell on Link, and she gave him a small smile. "I guess it's you I have to thank," she said softly, "If it weren't for your arrow, I might not have gotten the chance to experience life on my own..."

"Uh... I can't say it was nothing..." Link replied, "I didn't know it would happen."

"I don't think anyone would have," a soft voice said in his ear. Farore appeared behind him. Darunia jumped when he saw her, although Selphie merely seemed mildly startled by her sudden appearance. Farore brushed past them and stood in front of Yugi. "So, you're the sister we lost to Shinigami?" she asked softly. Yugi nodded slightly. Farore smiled at her, placing one hand on her cheek, and Yugi returned the smile. She then took Kage from her arms, and cradled him like a child. She turned back to the others. "...I'll take Kage from here..." she said, "Din, Nayru and I will look after him for a while. Meanwhile..." Her gaze fell on Link, and he noticed they seemed to hold a mischievous sparkle, "I need you to look after Yugi."

"Huh?!" Link exclaimed, startled.

"She needs to get used to existing in her own body," Farore replied, "So she'll be staying in Hyrule for the time being. So I ask you three to help her, and look out for her."

"O...kay...?" Link mumbled, giving a slight nod.

"Thank you," Farore said, bowing her head slightly. She then vanished, and Kage vanished with her. The four were silent for a long while. Darunia was the first to speak.

"Okay... someone needs to explain this to me..."

Link sighed, looking to Yugi, who laughed softly, giving him a slight nod. Link thought through what he knew, and, with Yugi's help, started to tell them everything that had happened, starting with his death...

'

Author's notes: By the way, I edited chapter two, so if this chapter doesn't seem to fit, it's because I changed the ending to chapter two.  
This chapter is much shorter than the others... That's because I literally ran out of ideas, and I have no means of doing a word count on this comp. Anyways, the story does not end. That would just be pointless and boring. There is much more to come! Not to mention we still need to find out about Kage... and we need to get to the appearance of Ga-  
...Shutting up now.


	5. Chapter Four

**Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Three**

She watched their target in silence, remembering everything she had learned in her training. This was their final test: assassinate Ikana's newest ally. After all their years of training, they weren't going to screw this up. They had worked too hard, come too far to let some... _boy_ mess it all up.

She turned to her partner. "I'll go in first," she said softly, "It should be over with within an hour."

"Are you saying I should wait here?" he asked, "I know I'm not the best partner in the world, Jij, but the last thing I want is for you to get hurt, possibly killed, without me there to help you out."

"I know," she sighed, "I'll be fine. If I'm about to be in over my head--"

"--I'll come running," he finished for her. She gave him a smile and placed one hand on his cheek.

"I can always count on you if I need help," she said softly, "I'll be back. Trust me."

And with that, she was gone without another word. Her partner sighed heavily, hanging his head in silence.

'..._I know as well as you do that you can count on me..._' he thought sadly, '_I would throw myself in harm's way to keep you safe... but I never get the chance to prove any of this to you, or even to myself..._'

He lifted his head, feeling the wind tugging at his robes.

'..._I wonder...Can you ever really count on me to help you... if I never can the chance?_'

Link stretched as he stood up, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. The morning air was cool, and the sky was grey from the rain that was to come in a few days' time. It had been nearly a week since the whole incident with Kage, and Link would, under normal circumstances, have forgotten about it. Darunia had gone back to Goron City, and Selphie had gone with him. Link got word shortly after that Selphie had been accepted into the Goron family as a sister. Link was glad to hear it, as it gave Selphie someplace to stay in the meantime while they tried to find a way to get her back home.

He heard a soft sigh and opened his eyes. He looked down to find Yugi sleeping a few feet away, near the dying embers of the fire he had set up last night. She was the reason he hadn't forgotten the fight with Kage. She had stayed with him ever since, because she had no place to go.

From what she told him, all the gods and goddesses of Hyrule actually stayed in the mortal realm, in the form of some being (and she said that he had met three of them in person, but refused to name them). Therefore, they each had a place to stay, this place more often being in their respective Temples. Yugi was not a true goddess of Hyrule, and, even though she and Kage were once one, she could not stay in his respective temple, the Shadow Temple. (Also, the constant moaning and crying of the souls trapped in the temple tended to send cold chills down her spine. How Kage managed to stand it was beyond anyone's understanding.)

Link crouched near Yugi, watching as she slept. '_...She kinda looks like Zelda... but much more... I don't know,_' he thought, brushing her hair away from her face, '_While the two look alike, Yugi is so much... different._' He sat down beside her, staring at the dying embers of the fire.

Yugi stirred slightly, moving closer to him. He smirked as he placed one hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer. '_She reminds me of a child almost. Her actions aren't like those of a typical adult._' He watched as she snuggled against him, '_I can understand somewhat. She hasn't been able to live her own life as anything more than just a part of Kage. Her life was stolen from her. Much like mine was._'

Yugi sighed softly. "Ototo..."

"Hm?" Link looked at her. Yugi opened her eyes and looked up at him. She gave him a smile, which he returned. "Sleep well?" Link asked.

"Yeah," she replied, "You?"

"I guess," Link said with a shrug. Yugi sat up and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "...Why did you say 'Ototo'?"

"Hm?" Yugi looked at him. "... I don't know. I guess it's because I miss Kage. I need him to support me now that I finally have a life of my own."

"...Then I guess I'll play stand-in brother for you," Link said, tousling her hair lightly, "Darunia will, too, if you want."

Yugi laughed and nodded, giving him a warm smile. "Thank you, Link."

"No problem."

Link tensed slightly. He could hear the telltale whisper of an arrow being drawn. He stood, and Yugi looked up at him in confusion. "Link, what is-?"

"Just stay down," he said softly.

He heard the arrow as it flew through the air, coming closer. In one fluid motion, he wheeled about, drawing his sword and, once it was in range, slicing the arrow in two. He could see his assailant hiding in the shadow of a nearby tree. It was a small figure cloaked in long brown robes. All he could see of the person were his feet, which were both wrapped with long strips of cloth, and his hands, in which he held a bow and quiver.

"A... Garo...?" Link breathed, momentarily startled. The Garo did not reply, but quickly put away his bow and arrows. He stood there for a moment, studying Link.

"What is that?" Yugi asked.

"A Garo," Link replied, "A soulless ninja sent to spy on Ikana."

"Soulless?" Yugi echoed.

"The Garo were killed during the war that completely ravaged Ikana," Link clarified, "They are nothing more than empty shells existing only to spy on Ikana, although it is nothing more than a land of spirits." He took a defensive stance, drawing his shield. "Stay back, Yugi," he said firmly, and the goddess immediately fled to a safer distance.

A single blade suddenly appeared in the Garo's hand, and he charged at Link, who quickly raised his shield to block the attack. The Garo unleashed a barrage of attacks, forcing Link, who blocked every attack with his sword and shield, to remain in a defensive position.

Or so it seemed.

Waiting for just the right moment, Link shifted his position ever so slightly, countering with an attack of his own. The Garo reacted quickly enough to block the attack, but left himself open, and Link rammed his shield into the Garo's middle. The Garo grunted loudly as he was thrown back several feet, his sword knocked from his hand. It landed several feet away. Link swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for the Garo's middle. However, his sword only cut through empty air as the Garo leapt backwards, flipping in midair and throwing out his hands to spring backwards, landing gracefully next to his sword.

"Well," Link breathed, honestly impressed, "That's the first time I've seen that done before."

"Let's finish this," the Garo said, taking his sword in his hand.

"Whatever you say," Link said, casting aside his shield. After maybe a split second was taken for the two to sum up their opponent, both Hero and Garo ran at each other, each ready for the final strike. The Garo attacked first, thrusting his sword at Link's chest. Link sidestepped it, but instead of countering the attack, he grabbed the Garo by the wrist, turned sharply, and flipped the Garo over his shoulder. The Garo landed hard on his back, dropping his sword in surprise, and Link immediately kicked it away. The Garo quickly sat up, but only to find Link's sword pointed at his throat.

"I win," Link said simply, eyeing the Garo warily.

"So I see," the Garo said, looking from the sword to Link. One thing he noticed about the Garo was the eyes. They weren't empty and lifeless like the Garo he'd fought before, and they were two different colors. The left was blue, and the right was green.

'_Can it be..._' Link wondered, '_That this Garo is actually... alive?_'

"...Although my rival," the Garo said, although it was obvious that the words were forced, "You were spectacular. I shall take my bow by opening my heart and revealing my wisdom." There was a brief pause. "I was sent to kill you for allying yourself with Ikana. This was to be my final trial before I was to become a true Garo."

'_True Garo?_' Link wondered.

"Belief or disbelief rests with you..."

'_Wait a minute... every time I'd defeat a Garo... they'd reveal a secret... but afterwards... the Garo would..._'

"To die without leaving a corpse," the Garo continued, "That is the way of us Garo." There was a hiss, and Link immediately recognized it as the fuse of a bomb. He quickly grabbed the Garo by the robes and hauled him to his feet, and, in doing so, all but tore off the robes off completely. He grabbed the bomb and threw it into the air and drew his bow, quickly drawing an arrow and shooting the bomb once it reached the peak of its ascent. Link then turned his gaze back to the Garo.

"PERVERT!"

He was greeted by a strong slap across his face. He stared at the Garo in shock. It was not a man, as he'd assumed, but a girl. A sixteen year old girl. She wore a simple khaki-colored shirt with sleeves that reached the middle of her forearm, and brown pants, as well as the strips of cloth that she wore on her feet in lieu of shoes. Her eyes, as he'd noticed before, were of different colors, the left being blue, the right green. Her hair was waist-length, straight, and black. Altogether, she was _not_ what he'd expected to be fighting.

"What the hell?!" Link exclaimed once he got a good look at her, "I was fighting a girl?!"

"What of it?!" she screamed back at him, "Why the hell did you have to tear off my robes, pervert?!"

"I had to get that bomb away from you so you wouldn't kill yourself!" Link snapped.

"You made a mockery of me..." she breathed, quickly drawing her bow and arrows, "I'll kill you for that!"

Link reacted by smacking her wrist with the flat side of his blade. She cried out, dropping her bow and quiver, and Link promptly kicked them away.

"Just calm down," he said, "Let's talk this out, okay?"

"What the hell would I have to discuss with you?" she sniped, spitting in his face.

"Considering that I'm the one you were sent to kill, and I'm the one who actually won the fight," Link said, calmly wiping the spit off his cheek, "You shouldn't really be so quick to yell and scream at me for showing you mercy."

The girl just glared at him, her teeth bared angrily.

"...I'll give you credit for one thing, though," Link said, "I've never fought a Garo that gave me that much trouble. I fought several full-fledged Garo when I was ten years old, and I defeated them all with ease. If I remember correctly, I fought a Garo Master as well. However, coming up against you, a Garo-in-training, I don't think I've ever had that much trouble winning a fight."

The girl blushed, seemingly both shocked and flattered by this information. Link couldn't help but smirk, struggling not to laugh.

"Jiji!"

Link and the girl, Jiji, turned, and Link found himself confronted by a second Garo. From the looks of it, he, too, was a Garo-in-training. He had his bow out with an arrow drawn back, aimed directly at Link.

"Let her go!" the Garo barked.

"How many of you are there?" Link asked, looking to the girl. She did not reply, but tried to run to her partner. Link caught her by the wrist. "Wait!"

"I said, let her g-!"

The Garo was cut off abruptly by a sudden jet of flame engulfing his robes. Jiji screamed.

"IGGY!"

The Garo, whose name, Link assumed, was Iggy, quickly discarded his robes and kicked dirt on it to extinguish the flames. He was dressed like his partner: khaki-colored shirt, brown pants, strips of cloth in place of shoes. He had short black hair and tan skin, and his eyes were a dark brown. He could easily pass himself off as her brother, although Link assumed they weren't blood related in any way.

He looked around to find the source of the attack, but, seeing none, he quickly resumed his previous stance, drawing back his arrow and aiming at Link.

"Let her go," Iggy commanded, "Now!"

"Just let go of me," Jiji hissed at Link, struggling to pull away.

"No," Link said, pulling her closer to him, "It's not safe over there. Your partner's already in danger."

"What?" Jiji asked, startled. She looked back to Iggy.

"For the last time," Iggy said, "Let her-!"

He was cut off again by a second jet of flame, except this time, it was much smaller. Iggy yelped as his backside was set aflame. He dropped his arrow and drew another, which had an arrowhead of ice. He aimed the arrow at the ground and released it. Upon making contact with the ground, the arrow created a block of ice, upon which Iggy promptly seating his flaming rear, thus extinguishing the flames.

"What... the... hell...?!" Iggy gasped.

"Told you so," Link said to Jiji, who stared at Iggy in shock, her mouth agape. Iggy was about to rise to his feet, but someone grabbed him by the back of his shirt. He looked up at the person detaining him. It was a rather tall young man dressed in a white kimono and a black hakama, his cold silver eyes set in an expressionless face framed by unkempt black hair.

Kage had returned.

Disclaimer: I own Kage and Yugi. Selphie, Iggy and Jiji belong to Selphie Louise. :p Ask her if you want to use them.

Author's Notes: This was a fun fic to do. I liked it. And the whole thing with Kage flaming Iggy's backside... let's just say that's been a running joke from when Kage was first created. When he was still a baby dragon that Sheik would keep with him in my rps. Ask Selphie. ... If she hasn't died from rotflhao. If she does it to begin with.


	6. Chapter Five

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Five**

"So you're both Garo in training?" Link asked in surprise, "Neither of you are full-fledged Garo?"

"No, we're not," Jiji said bitterly, "Our final task before we could become Garo was to kill you and take your head as proof that you had been slain."

"I... see..." Link said with a slight grimace, "...Why did... whoever it was that set you up to this... want me dead?"

"Because you allied yourself with Ikana," Iggy replied, "For that, you became our enemy."

"...Did you know that I was in Ikana seven years ago and haven't been back since?" Link asked.

They shook their heads slowly.

"Did you know that I was only a child when I went?"

Another negative response.

"...Did you even know that all of Ikana was destroyed long ago, including the Garo who'd originally been sent to spy on Ikana?"

The only reaction he got was a look of shock from Jiji, and a slightly guilty look from Iggy.

"I didn't think so," he sighed, "Well, there's not much reason to kill me, is there?"

No response came this time.

"...Well, at the least, we're willing to call a truce," Link said, looking from Iggy to Jiji. He extended his hand to Jiji, who looked at it in silence. "...What? You don't want to?"

"...When shaking hands, don't you usually do it with the right hand?" she asked, looking up at him.

Link laughed nervously as he withdrew his hand. "Sorry," he said, "I'm left-handed." He extended his right hand, and Jiji took it in hers, and they shook hands. Link then extended his hand to Iggy, who took it reluctantly.

"So... I think now would be the time we properly introduce ourselves," Link said, "My name is Link, if you already didn't know."

"I'm Jiji, and this is Iggy," Jiji replied, glancing once at her partner. She looked behind Link at Selphie and Yugi, who had watched in silence.

"My name is Yugi," Yugi said softly.

"And I'm Selphie," Selphie added. Jiji eyed her warily, glancing once at the sash around her waist.

"...You're Ikanan," Jiji said softly, looking back up at Selphie, her blue-and-green eyes locked with Selphie's green ones.

"...Yeah... and...?" Selphie asked. Jiji glanced at Link.

"If Ikana was destroyed hundreds of years ago, how is she Ikanan?" Jiji demanded.

"Ever hear of the _fissi en khronos_?" Link asked.

"Yeah... time portals... why?" Jiji asked.

"How do you think I got here?" Selphie asked. Jiji didn't reply.

Iggy glanced at Kage, who was standing separate from the group. "Anyway," he said, "Who's that over there?"

"That's Kage," Link replied.

"How the hell did he manage to pull off a stunt like that?" Iggy demanded, "There's no way a fire spell could be concentrated on one point like that."

"Kage and Yugi aren't mortal," Link replied, "They're deities. Kage can easily take on the form of a dragon--"

"You're saying they're gods?" Iggy asked with a sneer. He gave a short laugh. "Bullshit."

Kage narrowed his eyes slightly, and nearly a split second later, Iggy's backside was on fire. With a little help from Jiji, he managed to put it out. Iggy glared at Kage, who just glared back at him.

"Believe what you want," Yugi sighed, massaging her temple lightly, "At the least, it wouldn't be wise to anger Kage. Having just recovered from being caught in a demon state for over a thousand years, angering him now would just force him back into it, and it's unlikely we'd be able to keep him under control this time."

"'Demon state?'" Iggy echoed.

"My father was a half-demon," Kage said. He placed one finger on his cheek just under his eye. "If you couldn't tell, my eyes are silver: the mark of the demon. To add to it, my hair was silver, but I had my sister change it to black when I was still a child."

Iggy frowned, narrowing his eyes slightly. '_...Silver hair... and silver eyes... could he be...? No, he couldn't... it isn't possible..._'

"Anyway," Yugi sighed, "We're willing to let you stay with us."

"...You'd do that for us?" Jiji asked, the circumstances...?"

"Well, you seem harmless enough," Link said with a smile, "And I'm not saying you're weak. As I said before, I've fought a Garo Master that gave me less trouble than you. And I was a kid then, too."

"But you said that all the Garo in Ikana were dead," Iggy said bitterly, "Comparing us to the dead doesn't quite boost our confidence... well, not mine, at the least."

"I think that the skill of a fighter does not improve nor deteriorate when the body dies. They stay at the level they were when they died," Link replied, taking a drink of his water, "So the Garo I fought were still rather weak when I fought them, and the Garo Master, although he was stronger than a normal Garo, he wasn't too hard either. I must say, of all of the people I'd fought in Ikana, King Igos and his guards, followed closely by Captain Keeta, were the ones that gave me the most trouble."

"You fought King Igos?!" Iggy, Jiji and Selphie exclaimed at once.

"The souls of Ikana were corrupted by the evil spilling out from Stone Tower," Link said with a slight nod, "In beating them, I freed their spirits. There was also Sharp, who had actually imprisoned his brother's soul."

"Flat?!" Selphie cried.

"Yeah," Link nodded again, "Of all the people I met in Ikana, he was the only one who hadn't been corrupted."

"Flat..." Selphie whispered softly, grimacing. Kage grimaced as well, but possibly for a different reason. Yugi noticed it, but when Kage saw her looking at him, he quickly turned away.

"...Anyway," Link said, turning back to Iggy and Jiji, "Do you want to stay with us?"

"..." Iggy and Jiji exchanged glances and nodded slightly. "We'll stay with you," Jiji replied.

"Well, that's settled then," Link said with a smile. He turned to the others.

"So, who's up for going to the lake?"

'

Link stood at the top of the hill, staring up at the moon in silence. He listened to the sounds of the waterfall, which drowned out the sounds of the insects chirping. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The night air was cool against his flesh. He liked it.

"Rupee for your thoughts?"

He opened his eyes and noticed Yugi standing next to him. She smiled up at him, and he returned it.

"Nothing much to tell," Link replied, "I was just savoring the moment."

"Mind if I savor it with you?"

"Not at all," Link replied with a shrug. Yugi moved closer to him, leaning against his side. She then took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. now?" Link asked with a smirk.

"Quite," Yugi replied, sticking her tongue out at him. She sighed softly, resting her head against him. "...This all feels so weird for me..." she said, her smile frowning, "I feel like I don't belong in this life... I was given a chance at life, but it was stolen from me before I was born... some unnatural circumstance places my soul in Kage's body, and I grow up along with him... and you somehow manage to split us apart, and I finally have the chance to live on my own... as myself. But..." She fell silent, biting her lip.

"... 'But' what?" Link asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"...It feels like the world can't accept me... I have no life to live... It might be hard for my siblings to accept me, because I'm not even sure that they knew about me until you shot Kage with the light arrow."

"Farore knew," Link said, hoping to make her feel better.

"Din, Nayru and Farore are the oldest," Yugi said, waving her hand dismissively, "Of course they knew. Koboku and probably Suna knew, but as for Jabun and Volvagia, they were probably too young to know..."

"...Wait a minute..." Link said, "...Did you say... Volvagia...?"

"Yeah," Yugi said, nodding, "He's the guardian deity of the Gorons, and takes the form of a dragon. However, you probably didn't know that because he's so laid back that they forgot him."

"...Er... that's not it..." Link said, swallowing hard, "...I fought a dragon named Volvagia... and won... I think... that... might have... been him..."

"Oh," Yugi said thoughtfully, "Probably. Something could have been controlling him... But at any rate, he hasn't done anything in retaliation, so it's likely he either forgot about it, or he doesn't care."

"...right..." Link said uneasily. Yugi sighed and poked his side. "What was that for?" Link asked.

"Just because," Yugi said, snuggling up against him. She paused for a moment. "...You accept me as no one except myself, even though I was a part of Kage?"

"Yeah..." Link replied with a nod, "Why?"

"...Just making sure," Yugi said, closing her eyes, "...Thank you."

"For what?"

"...For everything."

Link stared at Yugi in silence, and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her closer.

'_You're welcome._'

'

The next day, the group had gone to the field again. Once again, they went their separate ways. Selphie, Iggy and Jiji went off in a group, the two females of the party rather interested in hearing more about one another, as the three pretty much lived in the same place. Kage offered to go with, but Selphie chastised him, as everybody thought that he just wanted to torment Iggy. Surprisingly, Kage seemed upset by Selphie's words, but did not push the issue. So instead, he went with Link and Yugi.

They headed northwest, wandering aimlessly through the field. Link and Yugi talked about different things, the gods, Hyrule, Link's quest as Hero, and other such things. Kage just followed them, staring up at the sky in silence, only half-listening to the conversation. Currently, Link and Yugi were discussing Link's ultimate nemesis, Ganondorf.

"He sounds scary," Yugi commented after Link had finished telling her about the final battle, when Ganondorf used the Triforce of Power to change himself into a giant humanoid pig, known by Ganondorf's alias of Ganon.

"He can be," Link admitted, "When I first met him, I was terrified. I was only ten years old, and I had only just left the forest, where I'd grown up."

"But you weren't scared when you fought that last battle?" Yugi asked.

"Not really," Link replied, "I'd confronted worse before facing him, and I managed to get through all right. I also knew that all of Hyrule was depending on me, so I knew that being scared wasn't an option."

"And that, boys and girls, is how the Hero of Time became the favorite of the Goddess Farore, and he was thus chosen by 'Destiny' and was given the Triforce of Courage," Kage said sarcastically.

"From your tone, I'm guessing you think I don't deserve it," Link said with a smirk.

"Got that right," Kage said with a short laugh.

"Kage, be nice," Yugi said warningly.

"Don't wanna, don't gotta," Kage said with a smirk.

"You're so immature," Yugi sneered, "You're acting like a child."

"I _am_ a child," Kage said, sticking his tongue out at her, "I'm younger than again?" Link asked, raising one eyebrow in confusion.

"Din, Farore and Nayru had to reverse time for me, taking me back to before my body got out of balance," Kage sighed, "To give you an approximate age, I'd be the equivalent of a... seventeen year old now."

"Whereas the previous age was maybe eighteen," Yugi sighed.

"So, basically, Kage's seventeen?" Link asked.

"Who knows with gods," Kage said with a shrug, "We're several thousands of years old. I've lost track. I think it's how one acts that determines the actual age..." Suddenly his eyes narrowed. "...We've got company..."

"I commend you for being able to sense me," a woman's voice said, "No one's been able to before."

"Just show yourself already," Link sighed, drawing his sword.

"Gladly." A woman appeared before them, almost as though from nowhere. She was a Gerudo, as could be inferred from her dark skin, red hair, amber eyes, and her outfit. The specific regalia she wore proved her to be of higher rank than normal Gerudo. She wielded twin swords instead of a spear. She was definitely much more powerful.

"What do you want?" Link demanded.

"So you're the Hero of Time," she said with a smirk, "You're just a boy... nonetheless..." She took an offensive stance, pointing one sword towards his heart.

"In the name of the Great King Ganondorf Dragmire, I will kill you, and claim your head as a trophy!"


	7. Chapter Six

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Six**

"Just my luck..." Link sighed, "Another assassin..."

"Any chance of you befriending this one?" Kage asked.

"Not likely," Link replied, "Considering I'm the one that had the Gerudo king banished to the Sacred Realm for all eternity, I can understand why they'd hate me."

Yugi looked a bit uneasy and started to take a step forward. However, Kage grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back.

"You know the law..." he whispered, "We can't interfere."

Yugi grimaced, but nodded, looking to Link.

"'Law'?" Link asked.

"Divine Law," Kage replied, "Deities can't interfere in mortal affairs. We can't assist you in the fight in any way."

"I see..." Link breathed. He hadn't been expecting help anyway. He was used to fighting alone.

"Enough banter," the assassin hissed, "Now you die!"

She leapt at him, crossing her arms over her chest. She then drew her swords in wide, outward sweeps, which would have caught Link in the middle and cut him in half. However, he managed to dodge it just in time by leaping backwards, away from the attack. He glanced over his shoulder at Kage.

"Get Yugi to a safe distance."

Kage nodded and pulled Yugi by the arm. She resisted, but only momentarily, as she then allowed Kage to lead her to a safer distance, away from the mêlée. She watched in silence, and Kage knew that she was suffering from some internal conflict. It was taking all of her self control to keep her out of the fight.

The Gerudo leapt at Link again, feigning an attack before immediately aiming a real one for the back of his head. Link caught the bluff and raised his shield to block before countering with an attack of his own, driving the pommel of his sword into the assassin's stomach. She leapt backwards, easily dodging it.

When she landed she crouched low, springing forward again, this time with much more speed, and aimed her sword for Link's shield. He blocked it, but the force of the strike knocked his shield free, sending it flying several feet away. He recovered quickly and thrust his sword at her middle. Again, she dodged it. She then took several steps back, crouching low as she held one sword out in front of her, the other behind her, her amber gaze locked on Link.

Link shifted uneasily. He recognized that stance. It had given him quite a bit of trouble when he'd infiltrated the Gerudo Fortress. The Gerudo would go into a spin attack, and, more often than not, a single strike would knock him out. He took a firm hold of his sword with both hands. He was stuck having to stay in a defensive position. With just his sword, he didn't know if he'd be able to defend himself for long, if at all.

'_I have to try..._' he thought uneasily, '_If I don't, I'm as good as dead..._'

The Gerudo watched him for what felt like ages. Link could have sworn that he could hear his own heart pounding in his chest from the rush of adrenaline. In that split second before she finally attacked, Link could have sworn that she smirked at him. She attacked, finally, jumping at him as she spun in a circle. Link cringed as he heard her swords strike his. The impact of each attack grew stronger with each blow. Finally, Link's sword was knocked from his hands, and he cried out as he felt the assassin's sword rake across his abdomen.

He collapsed, falling to his knees as he wrapped his arms around his middle. He looked up at the assassin, who smirked down at him as she loomed over him.

"And so the mighty Hero of Time falls," she said with a short laugh, "I would have thought that you would be more of a challenge."

"So sorry to disappoint you," Link retorted with a sneer. He felt the assassin's blade press into the flesh on the side of his neck.

"And now I shall take that head of yours, pretty boy," she said, smirking again, "As proof that I have killed you."

Link just glared at her as she withdrew her sword, holding it high over her head.

"NO!"

Link jumped, startled by the yell. Almost as though from thin air, Yugi appeared in front of him, creating a magic shield to protect him. The assassin's sword was deflected, and she cursed loudly as she narrowed her eyes at Yugi.

"Wench!" she shouted, "Don't interfere!"

"I won't stand idly by while I let you take his life!" Yugi snapped back. She banished the shield and summoned fire in her hands. She launched the spell at the assassin, who took the attack in her stomach. The assassin staggered back, coughing as she was winded by the strike.

"Th-the h-hell...?!" the assassin grunted.

Link watched with wide eyes as Yugi cast another spell. This time, it was larger, and it was a ball of energy. She hurled it at the assassin, striking her in the chest, throwing her back several feet. Link looked up at Yugi, and his eyes widened even more as he noticed something out of place.

There were shackles on her wrists, as well as on her ankles. There were chains attached to the shackles, and they just seemed to hang limply for the moment. However, for some reason, Link noticed that Yugi seemed... slower. As though these chains were somehow weighing her down.

"Who the hell are you?!" the assassin spat at Yugi.

"That is none of your concern..." Yugi said slowly, breathing heavily from having used up so much energy in three consecutive spells, "Leave us now, and go back where you came from."

"Not without having completed my mission," the assassin snapped.

"You won't lat a hand on him!" Yugi shouted back, "Not while I'm here!"

Yugi closed her eyes, crossing her hands in front of her chest. She began chanting under her breath in a language that Link didn't recognize. However, he noticed that it was having an effect on the assassin, who had frozen in her tracks, her eyes wide with what seemed to be fear and pain. Yugi continued to chant, and a light surrounded the assassin, slowly intensifying as the spell progressed. Finally, Yugi finished the chant, wrenching her hands apart, and Link heard what sounded like glass shattering. The assassin then fell to the ground, unconscious.

"...What just... happened?" Link asked.

Yugi sank to her knees, bowing her head. "... I broke her mind," she replied, "It's a temporary thing... she will be unconscious for a few hours... when she wakes up... she won't remember a thing..."

"Yugi? Are you okay?" Link leaned forward, reaching forward to place his free hand on her shoulder. Something deflected his hand, and he stared at her with wide eyes. "Yugi...?!"

"...I broke the Divine Law..." she replied hoarsely, "...And now I must pay for it..."

"...Why would you do a thing like that?" Link asked, "Why would you break the Divine Law if it meant you would be punished?"

"Because you would have died if I didn't."

"Yugi...!" Link inhaled sharply as a wave of pain washed over him. His arms flew to the wound and he looked at Yugi helplessly. She looked at him, giving him a small weak smile.

"Link," she whispered softly, "Daisuki."

No sooner had she said those words when she was suddenly engulfed in a brilliant light, and it soon dissipated, leaving no trace of Yugi. Link cursed loudly, tearing out several blades of grass from the ground.

"Don't strain yourself."

Kage appeared next to him, and Link glared at him. "And where the hell were you?!" Link snapped.

"Yugi put up a crystal barrier to trap me," Kage replied, "She must have picked that trick up from Nayru. Hold still while I tend to your wound."

"Dammit, Kage, Yugi's gone!" Link shouted, grabbing Kage by the kimono.

"I know that," Kage said, apparently struggling to keep himself from yelling at Link, "I knew that it would happen if she did interfere. If I had been the one to interfere, it would've been a different matter." He undid Link's belt and pulled his tunic up, exposing the wound. He cleaned the wound as best as he could and finally started to dress the wound.

"...What would have happened to you?" Link asked.

"Hm?" Kage replied, only half-listening.

"If you had been the one to interfere, what would have happened to you?"

"...I probably would have been executed," Kage replied, tying off the bandage. Link quickly pulled his tunic back down and redid his belt. "...Yugi was banished from this realm."

"Where was she banished to?" Link asked. A chill went down his spine as he considered the options. There was one that immediately appeared in his mind. One that he prayed wasn't the place Yugi had been sent.

"...The Sacred Realm," Kage replied. Link inhaled sharply, biting his thumb. He had been right. He wished that he wasn't, but he had been right.

'..._Yugi's trapped in the Sacred Realm..._' he thought, '_...But that's where _he_ was banished... If she's alone with him... who knows what might happen..._' He cringed. '_...I'm afraid to find out._'

"We have to go to the Sacred Realm," Link said, struggling to his feet, "Yugi isn't safe there."

"What are you talking about?" Kage asked as he helped Link to stand.

"When I defeated Ganondorf, the seven sages sealed him in the Sacred Realm," Link replied darkly, "If Yugi's been sent there, she's trapped with him. If he finds her..."

"...Let's just hope that he doesn't..." Kage said as he half-carried Link across Hyrule Field, "I can get us into the Sacred Realm, but it'll be dangerous. We run the risk of releasing Ganondorf back into Hyrule, and we also run the risk of being caught and punished severely in interfering with Yugi's punishment."

"I don't care," Link said, "She saved my life, and I want to repay her for it. No one deserves to suffer by Ganondorf's hand." He scowled as another wave of pain coursed through his body. "...I never forgave myself for not being there for those seven long years he reigned over Hyrule... And I swore I wouldn't let anyone else suffer because of him again..."

"Well, now's the chance to prove your word," Kage replied, "Maybe the Gods will recognize that valor of yours and release Yugi from her punishment if you're the one to save her." Kage smirked. "The Hero saves the damsel in distress."

"Yugi's gonna kill you for that one."

"I know."

'

Yugi awoke to see a blood-red sky above her. She was lying in what felt to be a patch of dying flowers. She sat up, groaning as she felt the stiffness in her body. She had been laying there for what felt like hours. Her head hurt, as did her back, and her wrists and ankles were red and chafed around the areas where the shackles held her firmly.

The chains attached to her shackles were attached to the ground, and they did not allow her much mobility. She pulled on the chains, but they were fastened firmly. She sighed.

'..._Couldn't expect anything less. I'm stuck here._'

She looked around in silence. She was in what appeared to be a dying garden. It was near a large black castle, a macabre structure that loomed over her menacingly. The air smelled of blood and smoke, and the blood red sky was decorated with dark grey storm clouds.

'..._Where am I...? This can't be the Sacred Realm... It's far to... dark... menacing... evil..._'

"...So, you're finally awake."

Yugi turned towards the voice. Standing some short distance away was a tall man in black armor with long red hair and amber eyes, and a tattered red cape. He watched her with interest as he slowly made his way over to her.

"Such a fair maiden you are," he said, "You have somehow managed to bring life to this place of death. Can't you see the plants and flowers around you? They live because of you."

Yugi glanced down at the flowers that surrounded her. So these were here because of her...?

She cringed as she felt the man's hand brush her cheek. She could hear him laughing softly in her ear. He then grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. She struggled to pull away, but his grip was firm. He smirked at her, stroking her hair with his free hand.

"Now that you're here, fair girl, I'm not so alone anymore."


	8. Chapter Seven

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Seven**

"...This is an all-too-familiar sight for me," Link mumbled as he looked around. The grass was dying, and the air smelled of blood and smoke. The sky was dark, and the clouds were tinted red. And not too far off was a large castle, one that was burned into Link's memories and too often appeared in his dreams.

"It's none too pleasant for those of us who could do nothing but sit on our backsides and watch as what we worked so hard to create was nearly destroyed," Kage murmured.

"I thought you were living in a cave when it happened," Link commented, glancing at Kage.

"Long before Ganondorf first appeared, I had moved into the Shadow Temple, so I could try to go back to my divine duties without affecting the lives of mortals. I went back to that cave shortly before he took the throne," Kage replied, waving his hand dismissively, "Yugi was watching over me, to make sure I stayed under control."

Link was struck with a pang of guilt as he remembered what the goddess had done for him, and how she was suffering because of him. His pain must have been displayed on his face, as Kage now looked sympathetic, and he placed one hand on Link's shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said softly, "I know she's all right. Even if Ganondorf did find her, there's no way he could hurt her. All gods have some sort of magic protection that prevents them from being harmed by mortals of any sort. She'll be fine."

"...Still..." Link sighed, "...I can't help but feel uneasy... I know that there's probably no reason to worry... but I also know that if Ganondorf set his mind to it, he'd find a way to hurt her..."

Kage did not reply.

As the two drew nearer to the castle, they started to slow their pace. Honestly speaking, Link did not want to go back in there. Too many memories were tied to the place, and all of them horrific. It had taken him a year to get over the nightmares. Having to relive his past was not very conducive of his psyche.

"Wait a moment," Kage said, grabbing Link by the shoulder and holding him back. Link looked at Kage in confusion. "Over there," Kage said, pointing, "Doesn't that seem a little... out of place?" Link turned to look.

Kage was pointing at what seemed to be a garden. Link could see various trees and plants, all of which were dying. The most vibrant were near what appeared to be a large crystal. It was blood red in color, and there seemed to be something at the base of it.

"...The plants or the crystal?" Link asked.

"Both," Kage replied, "The fact that anything would be growing here strikes me as odd. As for the crystal, whatever's inside of it is so pure that its life force is affecting the area around it."

"A light to counteract the darkness?" Link suggested.

"Exactly."

"Then let's check there first." Link took the lead, moving slowly towards the garden. They slowly approached the crystal, and as they drew nearer, they could see what was inside. It was a woman sitting on the ground, her wrists and ankles shackled with the chains buried in the ground.

Yugi.

She seemed to be asleep, her body leaned back slightly as she rested against the wall of the crystal. She had several cuts, bruises and abrasions on her face, neck, arms and legs. Her dress was torn in several areas, and her hair was no longer pulled back neatly at the base of her neck, but hung scattered about her in disarray, like a veil to hide her from the world.

"Dammit..." Link said, dashing over to the crystal, pressing his hands against the side as he looked at her, "Someone's hurt her..." He wheeled about to face Kage. "I thought you said that she couldn't be hurt."

"She can't," Kage replied, "Her body can take any injury, but it can't affect her in any way. Any wounds will heal within a few hours, and she can't feel any pain whatsoever."

"But the look on her face..." Link said, glancing at Yugi again, "Something did hurt her. Maybe not at first, but she's feeling it now."

Kage frowned thoughtfully, but started slightly when he realized that they weren't alone. He wheeled about to face the intruder, and all he could see were shadows.

"...We've got company..." he whispered to Link. Link slowly reached up to draw his sword.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Link froze, narrowing his eyes as he watched somebody emerge from the shadows. He was a mountain of a man, towering over both Link and Kage, more so over the former than the latter. He was clad in black armor, a tattered red cape draped over his shoulders. His skin was dark, his eyes a reddish amber and his hair, which hung several inches past his shoulders, was a deep shade of red.

"It's been a while, boy."

"It has, Ganondorf," Link replied darkly, "But not long enough in my opinion."

"Er... Link... it'd be best not to piss him off..." Kage whispered.

"Why not?" Link asked.

"Because he has the Triforce of Power, he has a small portion of the power that Din possesses," Kage replied, "This being the Sacred Realm, that power is amplified. We are literally at his mercy."

"I have the Triforce of Courage," Link stated.

"The Triforce of Power is stronger, hence the name," Kage countered.

"But you're a g-!"

"_I'll explain that one later,_" Kage hissed telepathically, inconspicuously nudging Link in the ribs, "_If he finds out who I am, things may only get worse. ...Especially if he finds out who Yugi really is. If he finds out that she's a goddess, he may take advantage of that..._"

Link just bit his lip, glowering at Ganondorf. His eyes flicked over to Yugi, but he quickly focused his attention on Ganondorf.

"...You're the one that hurt her, aren't you?" Link asked.

Ganondorf didn't reply, but instead looked at Yugi, who continued to sleep. "...She's an interesting girl. She has a fighting spirit, that's for sure, and she has a sharp gaze. Much like his," he nodded towards Kage, whose lip curled into a snarl, "...However... she has yet to make a sound... And it's not as fun when she's quieter than the dead." He smirked, and Link's eyes widened as he realized exactly what he meant.

"You BASTARD!!" Link shouted, drawing his sword, "I'll kill you-!"

"Link, stop it...!" Kage said, grabbing Link's arms as he held him back, "You'll get all three of us killed...!" Link wanted to yell at him, to hit him. Kage didn't understand what he was feeling right now. There was no way he'd understand.

"Link, stop it," Kage whispered in his ear, "Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down...!" Link snapped, trying to pull free of Kage's grasp.

"You'd better," Kage hissed, "He holds Yugi's life in his hands. Unlike us, she can't run away, or even defend herself. We can't act so hastily or he'll kill her!"

Link looked at Yugi. The crystal she was in was being charged with some sort of powerful energy. Yugi shifted uncomfortably, the expression on her face soon changing to one of pain. Link grimaced, forcing himself to look at Ganondorf again. Ganondorf merely smirked at him, apparently proud that he'd finally found a weak spot that he could use against him. Link's lip curled into a snarl and he finally relaxed.

"If you weren't using her as a shield, I would have killed you," Link growled at Ganondorf, raising his sword to the level of Ganondorf's heart, "Mark my words... If you so much as _hint_ that you're considering of taking advantage of her again..." He lowered his sword, this time aiming below the belt, "I swear... when I'm done with you... merely thinking of a woman will hurt."

"Brave words," Ganondorf said, crossing his arms over his chest, "But that's all you have right now. Words. Nothing more." He glanced at Yugi, and the energy inside the crystal intensified, and Yugi pitched forward, throwing out her hands to support herself, her eyes shut tightly with her teeth bared to endure the pain.

"Bastard, leave her alone!" Link shouted, "She's not your enemy! I am!"

"True," Ganondorf said thoughtfully. The energy in the crystal diminished, and eventually died. "...Then perhaps I will just dispose of you two... and I will spare her life. I'm certain I can find a use for her. After all, this place is rather quiet... rather lonely. Having her here would be a nice change of pace."

"ONORE!!!"

It was Kage who shouted this time, and, in a split second, he changed into a dragon. Link was barely able to glimpse Kage as his tail lashed out, striking the crystal, with shattered upon impact. Ganondorf raised his arms to protect himself from the assailing shards.

"_Link, get Yugi as far away from here as possible,_" Kage commanded, "_Have her get you out of here. I'll catch up._"

"Right." Link dashed over to Yugi, who was, by now, conscious. She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes slightly glazed and her gaze unfocused.

"...Link...?"

"I'm here to help," Link said, giving her a smile, "It's what I do best." She just stared at him blankly as he grabbed at the chains binding her. "...the hell?" Link breathed as the chains shattered at his touch. Not wanting to question this, Link just picked her up and, giving Kage once last glance, ran as fast as he could to get Yugi to a safer distance.

"So..." Ganondorf said softly as he watched Kage, "You aren't an ordinary boy... I knew that there was something different about you. You knew quite a bit about this place, as well as the Triforce's power. The only people who'd know that would be the sages and the gods themselves. You're obviously not the former, and, from the form you've taken, I would easily assume the latter."

"_Very good,_" Kage replied sarcastically, "_That doesn't change anything._"

"It changes quite a few things," Ganondorf replied, "For one, if you are a god, then it's safe to assume that girl, your sister, is a goddess." He laughed shortly, "All the more reason to keep her here. She is of greater value than I thought."

"_You'll not lay a hand on her!_" Kage snapped, lunging at the Gerudo King, "_Never again!_"

"Fool!" Ganondorf sidestepped the attack with ease. He aimed one strong punch for Kage's head, putting as much force behind it as he could muster. The blow hit Kage directly above his left eye, literally sending the Shadow God flying. Upon being struck, Kage quickly changed back to his humanoid form, landing hard on his back. He grunted as he struggled to his feet, fighting to see Ganondorf through a red veil that all but blinded him in one eye.

"You can't beat me," Ganondorf said with a smirk, "I have the power of the goddess Din. I can easily defeat you."

"So you think," Kage retorted, smirking as well.

"What was that?" Ganondorf asked, his smirk vanishing and his eyes narrowing slightly.

"This!" Kage opened his mouth and spat fire at the Evil King, completely engulfing him in the flames. Ganondorf merely stood there for a moment, ignoring the fire. Then, with one simple gesture, a mere wave of his hand, the fire was extinguished.

However, his opponent was gone.

"...So... he tricked me..."

Ganondorf thought about it for a minute. "...That boy... he must have been the Shadow God, Seiryu..." he mumbled, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "Those eyes weren't normal... not to mention that his tactics were similar to those of a child..." He frowned slightly.

'_But what of that girl...? If she is a goddess, why have I not heard of her? Who is she?_'

He sighed, closing his eyes.

"I guess I'll have to find a way out of here in order to find out..." He turned and started back towards the castle.

'..._This isn't the end... Link..._'


	9. Chapter Eight

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Eight**

Selphie stared at the fire in silence, lost in thought. Iggy and Jiji sat across from her, Jiji watching her carefully, while Iggy's gaze remained locked on a rock sitting in front of him. The girls had become friends, but Iggy remained distant. He barely spoke to Selphie, and didn't look at her often. Selphie assumed that it was because he was a Garo in training. The Garo trusted nobody except each other, although it was obvious that they didn't even have that much trust for friends or family either.

'..._But in staying with us, as well as failing in their mission..._' Selphie thought, looking up at the two, '_...They've gone against the ways of the Garo... If they go back... they'll be killed. Jiji doesn't seem to care... but Iggy..._'

"You okay?" Jiji asked, her mismatched eyes full of concern as she looked at Selphie.

"Yeah," Selphie said with a nod, looking at the fire again, "...I was just wondering how Link and the others are doing."

"...Those two aren't actually gods, are they?" Iggy asked, looking up at Selphie.

"...I met Kage several hundred years ago because the time portal dropped me in Hyrule when it was only a few hundred years old," Selphie said softly, "I was there... I saw what he became... I know he's a god..."

"What about Yugi?" Jiji asked.

"Yugi was killed before she could be born," Selphie replied, "She says that her soul was placed in Kage's body because he was conceived shortly after. She grew up as a part of him, but when Link fought Kage a week ago, Link hit Kage with a light arrow, and the two were separated into different beings. I think her story is true because her older sister, Farore, obviously knew about it."

"...Okay... that's a little... weird..." Jiji breathed.

"Yeah, but the gods work by different standards than us," Selphie replied with a shrug, "There's so much we don't know..."

"...And we probably never will," Iggy said as he stretched out on the ground, closing his eyes, "There's no point in worrying about stuff like that."

"..." Selphie looked back at the fire again.

_Snap..._

Selphie lifted her head as she heard a twig break. She looked around, but saw nothing. Silently chastising herself for being so jumpy, she turned away.

"...how're you holding up?"

"I'll live... it's her I'm worried about..."

Her eyes widened and she lifted her head again. Jiji was on her feet, her bow drawn with an arrow nocked. Something was definitely out there...

They could see two figures in the darkness slowly making their way over to them. One seemed to be staggering, apparently injured, while the other carried somebody in his arms. Jiji lowered her bow and waved to them to come over. The travelers came nearer, and the firelight illuminated their faces.

Kage and Link stood before them, Kage being the injured one and Link cradling Yugi in his arms. Kage's injury was a large wound on his head that was bleeding freely, covering almost half of his face with the red fluid. Link seemed uninjured, and Yugi's wounds were mere abrasions and bruises. However, from the way she was clinging to Link, she had obviously gone through some terrifying ordeal.

"Hi," Link said as he walked over, sitting down next to the fire. He looked exhausted, possibly from having to carry Yugi.

"What happened to you three?" Selphie asked as Kage sat next to her.

"Yugi got ...banished to the... Sacred Realm..." Kage replied, rather incoherently, one might add, "We went...to save her..."

"And what the hell happened to _you_?" Jiji asked, looking at him with wide eyes, "Your face is covered in blood, and it looks like you can't even see straight."

"Kage fought Ganondorf so I could get Yugi to a safer place," Link replied, "And he got hit in the head pretty hard."

Selphie withdrew a small piece of cloth from her pocket and wiped the blood from Kage's face. He hissed as she accidentally brushed the open wound. "That hurt..." Kage mumbled, pulling away.

"Well if you'll hold still, it won't hurt so much," Selphie chastised.

"Aw, lookit Kage," Iggy said with a smirk, "He needs Selphie to take care of him."

Kage glared at Iggy, but did not risk setting him on fire because of Jiji's proximity to Iggy, and Selphie being in the line of fire (literally).

"It'll heal in a few hours," Link said to Kage, "You said so yourself." Kage remained silent and would not look at him.

"...Why was Yugi sent to the Sacred Realm in the first place?" Selphie asked as she finished tending to Kage.

"Another assassin showed up," Link sighed, "And I wasn't so lucky that time. Yugi interfered on my behalf, and she was banished for breaking the Divine Law."

"But Ganondorf is in the Sacred Realm!" Selphie exclaimed, her eyes widening, "How could she be sent to such a dangerous place?!"

"...The high council is a group of stuck-up morons who don't give a damn about who is punished or for what reason," Kage replied bitterly, "They'll even execute the innocent just because everyone _thinks_ them to be guilty, even if the evidence proves them innocent."

"...Kage...?" Link looked at him in shock. The others only looked at him in stunned silence.

"...Leave him be..."

Link looked to Yugi, who shifted slightly in his arms. "...Leave Kage alone..." she whispered, "He'll explain when he's ready." She clung to Link, keeping her eyes shut tight. Link held her close, rubbing her shoulder gently. She flinched, and Link stopped. He looked at her shoulder, shifting her torn sleeve slightly. He could see what looked like a red arch on her shoulder, and what looked to be...

... Teeth marks.

Link's temper flared as he quickly set Yugi on the ground and stood up, starting to walk away from the group. Kage was on his feet in an instant, and now stood in front of Link, barring his path.

"Move, Kage," Link said darkly.

"And just where are you going?" Kage asked coolly.

"Back to the Temple of Time," Link snapped, "Back to the Sacred Realm."

"Why the hell would you want to go back there when we barely escaped with our lives?!" Kage snapped back.

"Because that bastard hurt Yugi!" Link spat, "I'll kill him for what he did to her!"

"You're not going back," Kage said, "I'm not opening the gate again."

"Then I'll go back myself," Link said, grabbing the crescent around his neck.

"Don't you dare!" Kage shouted, grabbing Link's wrist, "Doing that will only trap you there, and you will be nothing more than a helpless little boy trapped with that sadistic maniac for all eternity. Even if it is what you want, all you'll do is hurt Yugi more."

"What?!"

"I know the reason she was ever in pain," Kage said coldly, "She no longer has the protection of a god, which is proof enough that she has given up her immortality."

"...her immortality...?" Link echoed, staring at Kage in shock.

"Yes, her immortality," Kage said with a sneer, pushing Link roughly so that the Hero fell on his backside, "If a deity falls in love with a mortal, she must either live without said mortal, or she must give up everything that makes her a goddess for the entire lifetime of the person that he or she has fallen in love with. You lucked out. She chose the latter, just for you."

"..." Link looked at Yugi in stunned silence. She would not look at him, but instead stared directly at the fire.

"As much as I resent Yugi's choice in partners, I'm not going to let you walk straight into the arms of your enemy and get yourself killed," Kage sighed, "It isn't fair to her. She literally went through all of that because she cared about you." He walked back over to the fire and sat down heavily. "There were two major reasons that we were able to get her out of there..." Kage mumbled as he stretched out on his side, crossing his arms under his head, "One of them being that she gave up her immortality before being banished."

"How does that save her from punishment?" Jiji asked.

"She's no longer a goddess and is thus exempt from punishment of breaking the divine laws," Kage replied.

"What's the other reason?" Selphie asked.

"Something that only a Hero could correct," Kage answered, "Young girl in the hands of some psychotic villain... A damsel in distress, basically."

"And only a Hero can save said damsel," Iggy said with a slight nod.

"Exactly," Kage replied, "And Link's the Hero of Time, so it all works out." He looked up at Yugi, who was still staring at the fire. Kage sat up, placing one hand on her head. She looked up at him in silence. "It's over now," he whispered, giving her a soft smile, "You don't need to worry anymore. You're safe, and Link will stay by your side to protect you."

He tousled her hair slightly, and she managed a small smile before throwing her arms around him an embrace. "...Arigato, ototo..." she whispered.

"Do itashimashite," Kage replied, patting her back lightly.

'_What was that word..._?' Link wondered '_Da... dai..._'

'_Daisuki?_'

'_Yeah, that one..._' Suddenly his eyes widened. '_The hell?_'

'_I'm telepathic. I can hear your thoughts._' Link looked around at the group and saw Kage staring right at him. Kage gave him a slight nod.

'_Okay... great... you're in my head..._' Link thought uneasily, '_So... what does 'daisuki' mean?_

'..._It means 'I love you'._'

Link nodded slightly. He waited until Yugi released Kage before he wrapped his arms around her gently. She started slightly, surprised by the gesture. Link leaned forward and whispered, "Daisuki" in her ear. She smiled, tilting her head back to kiss his cheek.

"All right," Kage sighed, resuming his previous position: lying on his side with his arms crossed under his head, "Now that everything's been sorted out, I'm going to sleep now. Hopefully Link will still have his head in the morning."

"Hey!" Jiji cried indignantly, "We said we wouldn't try to kill him!"

"I'm not saying that you would," Kage replied, shaking his head as he looked up at her, "My sisters, however, are another story. I think they all would be very upset with Link. _Especially_ Din."

Link swallowed hard.

"Sleep well, Link," Kage said with a smirk.

"With that in mind, I doubt it," Selphie snickered.

Within half an hour, the group was asleep. Save for Iggy. He sat there, watching the others in silence as they slept.

'..._We can't just let him live..._' he thought, '_we have to complete the assignment..._'

He rose to his feet and walked over to where Link lay. Iggy drew his sword.

'_How easy it would be to kill him like this... And it isn't against the rules..._'

He started to raise his sword, but hesitated as he saw Link shift. Silence. Link was still asleep. He raised the sword over his head.

'..._It's been fun, Hero._'

He tried to bring the sword down, but found that he couldn't. It just didn't seem right. He grimaced.

'_I can't be the weak link in this... Jiji has always pulled me through... Up to this point... Now it's my turn. I won't back down. I _WILL_ become a Garo!_'

He brought the sword down. However, its progression was halted when he saw Yugi shift in her sleep, inching closer to Link.

'..._She's in the way... I can't kill her too..._'

He bit his lip, forcing his sword back into its sheath. He started to turn away, but stopped, seeing a glint of gold on Link's chest.

The crescent amulet.

Iggy stared at it for a moment. Kage had said something about Link getting trapped in the Sacred Realm if it was removed... Perhaps that meant his life force was tied to it...

Being as quiet and stealthy as he could, Iggy walked around towards Link's head, reaching for the amulet. He seized it, and slowly started to pull it from around Link's neck. As he did, he heard Link grunt, and he paused as he saw Link's face contort into a grimace of pain, and his breathing became labored. Apparently it was true, and Link would die if the amulet was removed.

Iggy pulled it farther over Link's head, stopping again as Link's pain increased, and his breathing became much more arduous. He heard a soft whimper, and he looked to Yugi. She was clinging to Link, obviously suffering from a nightmare. Iggy didn't know what she had endured in the Sacred Realm, but, from what he could tell, it had been terrifying for her.

Kage had said something... she had gone through all that for him... for Link. If Link was killed, then whatever she had gone through would be for nothing, and she'd be alone. For all eternity.

Iggy sighed, pulling the amulet back down and resting it on Link's chest. Link's expression became serene, and he started breathing normally again. Iggy made his way back over to Jiji and sat down heavily. Jiji sighed softly, turning onto her side, facing him. He stared at her for a moment, and then grasped her shoulder, shaking it gently.

"Jij... Jij..." he whispered as he shook her, "Wake up, Jiji."

"Mmm... fivmrmnutes..." she mumbled, turning over onto her other side. Iggy frowned and poked her in the side.

"Gah! M'awake, m'awake!" Jiji cried as she shot up, staring at Iggy with wide eyes. She paused for a minute. "...Why am I awake?"

"Get your stuff together, Jiji," Iggy said as he gathered his belongings.

"Um... why?" Jiji asked, following suit.

"We're leaving," was Iggy's simple response.

"...Um... where are we going?" Jiji asked, raising one eyebrow.

Iggy pulled on his Garo robes and turned to look at her. "We're going back," he said as he pulled his hood over his head, "We're going back to Ikana."


	10. Chapter Nine

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Nine**

"Back to Ikana?" Jiji echoed. Still tired from having been woken up so abruptly by Iggy, it took her a moment to process what he'd said. Her eyes widened. "Iggy, we can't go back!"

"Why not?" Iggy asked.

"Well, because...!" Jiji fumbled for a response. Sadly, she could think of none.

"Jiji, we have to go back," Iggy sighed, "We can't stay here."

"You two going somewhere?"

The two jumped when they heard the voice. Kage had rolled over onto his other side so that he was facing them, his upper body supported by his elbows as he had raised himself into a half-sitting, half-laying position.

"What's it to you?" Iggy snarled. Jiji stared at him in shock. She didn't know Iggy to be so... mean. He had been acting like a total jerk the whole time they'd been in Hyrule, at least for the time after having failed their field assignment for their training. He was especially vicious when talking to Kage (which didn't happen often), most likely because his pride had been seriously bruised when Kage had first set his posterior aflame. Jiji frowned. She didn't like him like this. She liked him the way he normally was.

"I overheard the whole thing," Kage replied calmly, "Now, why is it that you want to go back to Ikana?"

"We need to complete our training..." Iggy mumbled bitterly, "We've worked too hard... come too far..."

"But we failed our field assignment, Iggy," Jiji pointed out, "Nobody's done that before. They're not going to let us off easy for it."

"Jiji's right," Kage said with a nod, "In fact, one might go so far as say that they would kill you for failure."

"...Kill us?" Iggy echoed.

"Uh-huh," Kage replied, "Not only did you fail, but we saw your faces, learned your names, and you willingly gave us vital information about your mission. They're not going to let you get away with any of it. The punishment will be severe, and it is likely to end in your deaths."

"..." Iggy bit his lip. Kage may have had a point... But he could be lying. He knew nothing about the Garo. He knew nothing about them. He didn't understand anything.

"Anyway, it's your choice," Kage sighed, turning over onto his other side, so that his back was to them, "I would counsel against going back, at least for now. Do whatever you think is best."

"Since when do you care about the lives of mortals?" Iggy asked coolly.

"..." Kage hesitated, and finally replied, "...Since my people, the Sheikah, were massacred by my own hands."

Iggy stared at the Shadow God in silence, and then turned to look at Jiji. Jiji had already set her stuff down and had curled up and fallen asleep. She had made her decision. Iggy sighed, sitting down heavily next to her.

'..._Dammit...I want to go back home..._'

He looked at Jiji again and sighed again. Then, he put his stuff on the ground, curling up on the ground. (He didn't bother taking the cloak off. Hell, it was warm, and the night was rather chilly.) He looked to Kage again, frowning. He then closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

'

The next morning, Selphie awoke to hear Kage cursing under his breath as he kicked dirt over the remaining embers of the fire. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Kage started slightly, turning to look at her. "I-It's nothing," he said hastily.

"As if," they heard Iggy say. Apparently he and Jiji were awake as well.

"What's got you so upset?" Jiji asked Kage, who grimaced when she'd asked the question.

"... In case you guys didn't realize," he said, "Link and Yugi are gone. They left us."

"That doesn't explain you practically using every swear word under the sun," Iggy said.

"I didn't," Kage replied bitterly.

"Tell us why, Kage," Selphie said calmly. Kage bit his lip before he finally spoke.

"...It's because I got left behind with you three."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Iggy asked defensively.

"It means that I'm stuck in a group of people that doesn't like me and is willing to accuse me of anything and everything," Kage snapped at him, his silver eyes flashing menacingly.

"What makes you think that?" Jiji asked.

"Centuries of experience," Kage replied, throwing up his hands.

"We're not like that, Kage," Selphie said.

Kage looked like he was ready to snap at her but he quickly stopped himself, closing his eyes as he forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again.

"At any rate," he said, turning away, "We should head up to Death Mountain. Darunia will be happy to see you again."

"Who's Darunia?" Jiji asked.

"The leader of the Gorons," Selphie replied, "He's a good friend of mine."

"O...kay...?" Iggy said, "Then... shall we go?"

"Why not?" Jiji asked, "We've got nothing better to do."

The three gathered up their stuff, and, once they were ready, looked to Kage. Selphie noticed that he was now wearing something like a jacket. A haori, she believed is what it was called. It was solid black, but had a silver symbol on the back, one that she had seen in ancient Sheikain texts. It was 'Shi' meaning 'death'. However, it just seemed strange to see Kage bearing 'death' on his back. Perhaps it didn't belong to him.

"...Where'd you get that?" Iggy asked, noticing the haori as well. His eyes were locked on the insignia, and a strange expression had formed on his face. Jiji looked at it as well, but then looked to Iggy in confusion. What was the big deal about a symbol meaning death?

"It's mine," Kage replied, "It belonged to my father. Now let's go."

Selphie cringed at the bitterness in Kage's voice. She didn't know why or how, but she could tell that the subject was a painful one. She looked to Iggy and Jiji, who looked back at her in confusion. Then, they just followed Kage in silence as he started towards Kakariko.

During the walk, Selphie, Iggy and Jiji talked about their past. Selphie explained about what Ikana was like before it was destroyed, about the war, and about her chance encounter with a dying Garo that had been considered a traitor to his people. Iggy and Jiji told her about their training, about how Iggy had difficulty with his missions, but Jiji, being the more able of the two, was able to support him and help him through his training. From time to time, Selphie would glance at Kage. He always stayed a considerable distance away from the group, possibly so that he wouldn't overhear the conversation. Any time he was within a certain distance of the group, they would somehow quiet down, and he would quicken his pace until he was farther away, and the conversation would resume.

Kage stopped at the base of the staircase leading up to Kakariko. The others caught up to him, confused by his sudden stop.

"What's wrong with you now?" Iggy asked. The question was followed shortly by a punch in the arm, courtesy of Jiji.

"...Kage?" Selphie asked, looking up at him.

"...I haven't set foot inside Kakariko since that day..." he whispered, his eyes locked on the ground, "...I can't believe that I am returning to that place of bloodshed..."

"...What's he talking about?" Jiji asked, looking at Selphie.

"Later," Selphie replied, looking at her. She looked up at Kage. He was looking up at the entrance to the village in silence. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Let's go," he said, "The sooner you get to Goron City, the better." He started up the stairs, and the others quickly followed. However, once they reached Kakariko, Kage did not move towards the gate leading to Death Mountain, but instead headed elsewhere.

"Where are you going?" Jiji called to him.

"I have something I need to take care of," Kage called back, "Just head up the mountain."

Iggy, Jiji and Selphie exchanged glances, and Selphie turned her gaze over to Kage. He was heading towards the Graveyard. Perhaps he had business in the Shadow Temple?

She frowned slightly. Something didn't seem right about this. She looked to Iggy and Jiji.

"You guys go up the mountain," she said, "I'll catch up to you later."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Iggy exclaimed, "We don't even know where we're going!"

"Just follow the path," Selphie said, "Read the signs so you don't go into the wrong entrance. When you get to Goron City, ask to see Darunia. Tell them I sent you."

She left them without another word, leaving them to stare after her in shock. She followed Kage from a considerable distance, not wanting him to see her. If he saw her, he was likely to make it seem as though he was intending to do something else. She wanted to know why he was heading to the Graveyard, and she also wanted to make sure he would be okay.

She made sure to keep out of sight, ducking behind whatever cover she could find whenever Kage turned his head ever so slightly towards her. She assumed he was oblivious to her presence, but she didn't want to risk blowing her cover. She followed him into the graveyard, ducking behind the old shack and watching Kage as he made his way towards the Shadow Temple. If she had any questions concerning how he might get in the temple, they were soon answered when Kage started to levitate, and literally floated over the fence, touching down on the other side and disappearing into the temple. Selphie ran over to the entrance, trying to find a way to get up there. The wall was smooth, so there were no handholds, and it would be disrespectful to stand on the headstones. All in all, there was no way up.

"Erg..." Selphie groaned, "How am I supposed to follow him now? It's way too high up for me to reach..."

"Allow me to assist you."

"Huh?" She heard the sound of a violin as a strange melody started to play. Suddenly, the wind picked up, literally sweeping her off her feet, carrying her over the fence, setting her down gently on the other side.

"..." She blinked. "...What just happened...?"

"The Wind's Harmony," a voice replied, "Used to carry objects over short distances. Sister song to the Wind's Melody, which can carry objects over larger distances." Something materialized in front of her, a wispy cloud-like substance. "It's been a long time, Selphie." The thing started to slowly change shape, taking the form of a person, one that Selphie recognized from long ago.

"Sharp?!"

"In the flesh," the musician said with a smile, "Or, if you would prefer, in the ectoplasm, as I am dead."

"But... how...?" Selphie stammered.

"That is a long story, but I'm willing to share it," he answered, "Years after you left, the war—"

"That's not what I meant," Selphie sighed, "I meant how are you in Hyrule when you lived in Termina?"

"Oh," Sharp paused thoughtfully, "Well, Flat and I served under the royal families of both Hyrule and Ikana. So, when we died, the conflict ended up being: where would we be buried? I preferred Hyrule, Flat preferred Ikana, and we refused to be separated."

"What did you do?" Selphie asked.

"When I died, Flat consulted Lord Albor," Sharp replied, "He was told to seek out a god in Hyrule, Lord Albor's cousin, who is the son of the god of death. Flat did so, and the god gave us both the ability to travel between Hyrule and Ikana."

"This god... can you describe him?"

"He was rather young... a boy. He had black hair, silver eyes, wore a black kimono... he looked sad... lonely." Sharp blinked. "Why?"

"Because that's the person I'm trying to follow," Selphie replied, "He's a friend of mine, and I'm trying to make sure he's okay."

"You mean that guy that just went in?" he asked, looking shocked, "That's Lord Seiryu?"

"That's him," Selphie replied.

"Wow... he's grown up..." Sharp said, stunned, "And I haven't seen him in at least five centuries..."

"Five centuries?" Selphie asked, "He said he's been living in a cave for over one thousand years."

"Well, I don't know what he's talking about, but I remember this one incident where he massacred most of the Sheikah in Kakariko. That was five hundred years ago, and that was the last time anyone, living or dead, ever saw him," Sharp said.

"...Well, being alone for all that time... it must have seemed like an eternity to him," Selphie said softly, "So five hundred years became one thousand, at least in his mind."

Sharp stared at her for a moment, obviously pensive about something. Then, he smiled at her, nodding slightly. "I'll accompany you." Selphie stared at him in surprise, but soon returned the smile, nodding to him.

"Thanks."

Disclaimer: Kage and Yugi are mine, Selphie, Iggy and Jiji belong to Selphie Louise, and all Zelda charas belong to Shigeru Miyamoto/Nintendo/whoever I need to credit.

Author's Notes: Hi, guys, sorry I didn't leave notes for the last three chaps. I had to post them in a hurry, 'cause my dad was kicking me off. But hey, I kept my promise, and produced four chapters while I was banned from the internet. Now, here's chapter nine! W00ts!  
((you can even ask Selphie, but when I typed that last line, I did a word count, and I was like 'WTF?! I'm _done_?!'))  
Iggy and Jiji were originally meant to go to Ikana, but this is too soon in the story. So I did something to fix that. But you didn't know that until now... right?  
Also, Sharp and Flat, while they were in Selphie's 'Tome of Lineage' story, they were in the Zelda game, originally in OoT, but they also appeared in MM, this time as key charas. I loved their names. Being a music freak, I got a kick out of that. For those who don't understand: Sharp (high) - older, Flat (low) - younger. Still don't get it? Bite me.  
Also, Albor is the name of the giant that guards Ikana Canyon. Selphie came up with the name. I just named the giants of the west and north (Dam'mer and Neige, respectively.)  
And... that's about it. Btw, the thing with Kage and the amount of time he was in that cave... 500-600 is the right number. I've been kicking myself after I posted 1000 way back when. Now, I have a logical explanation. So nyah. :p


	11. Chapter Ten

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Ten**

"I must say," Sharp commented as he and Selphie headed back to the main chamber, "You handled those Redead rather well. I doubt Link ever beat four off at once without getting one latched to him."

"I wish you could have told me that he took the Hover Boots," Selphie said exasperatedly, "Then I wouldn't have had to go through all that."

"Well you never asked," Sharp replied, "I'm following you, not vice-versa. I was wondering why you went that way in the first place."

Selphie silently wished that he were tangible enough to hit him.

When they reached the chamber, Sharp floated over to the giant bird statue. "Let's see you solve this puzzle," he said with a smirk.

Selphie sighed, walking over to the statue, examining it closely. It was just a giant stone bird set on a stone pedestal. It didn't seem out of place, really. It just seemed... creepy. She walked around it, and saw that there was a large block attached to it, possibly to help turn the statue. She looked at the bottom of the statue. There were small grooves in the floor that implied that yes, the statue could be turned. She examined the block, noticing something engraved it the stone.

'_Make my beak face the skull of truth._

_The alternative is descent into the deep darkness._'

"That's comforting," Selphie said as she finished reading. She looked around in silence. So she had to turn the statue so that it faced one of the skull torches around it... The 'skull of truth' part was a bit beyond her, though. She went to the nearest torch, reaching up to touch it. Maybe there'd be some sort of det—

"What the hell?"

She watched as her hand passed right through the skull, as if it wasn't even there. "...An illusion?" Selphie thought about it for a moment before going to each skull in turn, reaching up to touch them, and each time, her hand passed through. Finally, she reached to touch one, stopping when she felt the warmth of the flame. She touched the skull, quickly withdrawing her hand. She looked to Sharp. "Could you just stand over here for a little bit?" she asked. Sharp nodded, taking his place beside the torch, standing there obediently. Selphie went back to the statue and, taking a deep breath, put her hands to the stone block, pushing as hard as she could. Slowly, the statue began to turn. She grunted as she pushed it, slowly getting it to face the torch that Sharp stood by. She abruptly stopped pushing, starting slightly when she heard the sound of metal scraping against stone. She turned to look across the room. At the far end of the room, across the deep chasm, the portcullis had been raised.

"Let's go then," Sharp said, floating across the chasm to the room beyond.

"Hey!" Selphie cried, "Sharp!"

"Oh yeah, that's right." Sharp pulled out his violin and played the Wind's Harmony, and Selphie was carried across the chasm. She smiled at him, and he bowed his head to her. Then, they continued down the corridor.

"So, when do you plan on visiting Ikana?" Sharp asked, "Flat misses you."

"Well, if I have my way, I'll get to see him soon," Selphie replied absently, "I'm not giving up until I get back to the right time..." She could hear something deep in the temple. It sounded vaguely familiar...

"Well, I'm not likely to be going to Ikana," Sharp said, a sneer audible in his voice, "I'm not going near those hags!"

"Koume and Kotake?" Selphie asked, looking at him.

"Yeah, them," Sharp said, grimacing, "Flat's told me about how they constantly bug him, wanting his tears, needing them for ingredients."

"Ingredients?" Selphie echoed.

"Yes," Sharp nodded, "Something about this fatal illness... It's very rare, and there's no known cure. However, they've come close to making a cure for it."

The sound drew nearer as the corridor started to descend.

"What's this illness?" Selphie asked.

"I think it's called Illawarra," Sharp replied, "The symptoms are usually unresponsiveness, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and, as the illness progresses, minor internal hemorrhaging and hallucinations, and the final result is death."

Selphie cringed slightly. "That's pleasant."

Suddenly, Selphie tripped, landing hard on her stomach. Unfortunately, she fell at the edge of a drop-off and ended up tumbling over the edge. She landed hard on her backside, closing her eyes tightly as she rose to her feet, a wave of pain coursing through her body. The sound was right in front of her now. The sound of metal scraping against stone... she recognized it now. Slowly, she opened her eyes, staring wide-eyed as she saw an entire row of guillotines, rising and falling and rising and falling. She remembered that night, just three years ago for her... the night that _he_ came and broke into her house. She remembered his putrid stench, his grinning face... she could see it in her mind, as though it were happening again. She watched as her father was dragged over to the makeshift guillotine that he set up, watched as he pulled the cord, releasing the blade. She watched it fall, heard the sickening sound of the blade cutting clean through, and she saw her father's head by her feet.

A red haze enveloped her as the world began to spin around her. She staggered forward, just barely able to hear Sharp shouting at her over the sound of the guillotines as they continued to rise and fall, the sound overwhelming her, blocking out all other sounds. She closed her eyes as she collapsed, the darkness finally claiming her as she heard someone shouting her name.

'

Voices.

She could hear voices. They were faint, as though from far away. She felt warm. She could feel somebody's hand on her cheek. She took a deep breath, recognizing the scent that enveloped her.

Selphie opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times as she tried to see straight. She could see a dark mass encompassing a face, and she could see silver eyes staring down at her. She groaned softly, closing her eyes as she moved closer to the source of warmth.

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Just give her a minute to clear her head."

"What about that spell you used earlier?"

"It doesn't work that way."

Selphie groaned softly, opening her eyes again. This time, she could see things much more clearly. She looked up at the person holding her and saw Kage staring back at her, a worried look on his face. They were in front of the Shadow Temple, sitting in front of the doorway. Selphie looked up at Kage again and noticed that he wasn't wearing his father's haori. She then realized that she was wearing it draped over her shoulders, bringing her warmth.

"How are you feeling?" Kage asked her.

"I-I'm okay..." she replied. She wanted to cry, but something held her back. Kage must have noticed it, as he placed his hand on her cheek. "It's okay to cry," he said softly, "It's not good to keep your emotions bottled up inside, especially after what just happened." Selphie stared up at him for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes and, before she knew it, she was crying into his shoulder. Kage just held her close, waiting patiently while she continued to cry, relieving herself of the stresses she kept hidden from the world. After maybe five minutes or so, she calmed down, and her tears ceased.

"...It must have been a frightening ordeal for you..." Kage whispered softly.

"...What?" Selphie asked, looking up at him.

'_I'm telepathic._' Selphie started slightly when she heard Kage's voice inside her head, although his lips did not move. '_When you started to panic, your mind lost control and your thoughts were projected to me. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. It must have been terrifying._'

'_You don't even know half of it..._' Selphie thought darkly. Kage closed his eyes.

'_I'm sure I don't, and I don't expect you to tell me any of it,_' he replied, '_I just want to make sure you're okay._'

Selphie was silent. Kage helped her to her feet, and she noticed that his right arm was hanging limply at his side. Before she could say anything, she noticed Sharp standing next to Kage.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, "What happened?"

"You passed out," Sharp replied, "You fell underneath one of the guillotines. Your friend showed up and punched the guillotine as it came down, shattering before it was within three feet of you."

Selphie looked at Kage with wide eyes. She then grabbed his arm and, hearing Kage's hiss of pain, lifted up on the sleeve of his kimono. His arm was covered in blood, which flowed from several large cuts all over his arm. She looked up at him, but he wouldn't look back at her.

"It was the only way I could save you without you getting hurt..." he mumbled softly. Selphie sighed softly.

"When we get to Goron City, I'll bandage that up for you," she said, pulling his sleeve back down. She turned back to Sharp, giving him a small smile. "Thanks for accompanying me into the Shadow Temple."

"No problem," Sharp said, returning the smile, "Take care of yourself."

"I will," she replied, "And I'm going back to Ikana... to our time."

Sharp was silent, as though contemplating her words. "...Good luck with that," he said finally, "I hope to see you again." He then vanished, and Selphie turned to Kage. She noticed the pained look on his face and frowned slightly.

"...What's wrong, Kage?"

"N-nothing..." he said, managing a weak smile, "My arm hurts. That's all."

Selphie was silent, not certain that she believed him. She took his free hand in hers, pulling on it gently. "Let's go," she said softly, "The others are waiting for us."

Kage nodded slightly, giving her a weak smile. When Selphie turned away from him, his smile vanished.

'..._You don't even know half of it..._'

'

"What could be taking them so long...?!" Darunia muttered angrily, drumming his fingers on the floor. He was sitting cross-legged in front of the statue in his room, staring at the far wall. Iggy and Jiji exchanged nervous glances. When they had said that Selphie had gone somewhere with Kage, Darunia had been on edge the whole time. They kept their distance from him, making sure to stay well out of his reach.

"I'm sure that they'll be here soon," Jiji said softly, "The worst that would have happened is they would've gotten attacked by a..."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Darunia snapped, cutting her off, "I'm worried about Selphie. I don't trust her alone with Kage."

"Um... I don't think that Kage's likely to do anything to her," Iggy said calmly, "And Selphie can easily take care of herself."

Darunia didn't reply.

Less than five minutes later, one of the Gorons came running in. "Big Brother!" he exclaimed, "Selphie's here!"

"Well, escort her here," Darunia commanded, and the Goron left quickly. Soon enough, Selphie and Kage appeared in the doorway. Selphie looked well enough, although Kage looked rather unkempt, and had a strange expression on his face.

"Sorry we're late," Selphie said, giving all three of them a smile.

"What took so long?" Darunia asked gruffly, eyeing Kage warily.

"And how come you're wearing Kage's jacket?" Iggy asked.

"To make a long story short, Kage saved my life," Selphie replied. She gestured slightly to Kage, who sighed, sitting down on the floor. She glanced at Iggy and Jiji, who had shocked expressions on their faces. "Do you have anything I could use for bandages?"

"Uh, yeah," Jiji replied, pulling out a small handful of cloth and tossing it to Selphie, who caught it.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "Hold out your arm and pull your sleeve up," she said to Kage, who complied silently, extending his arm and pulling back his sleeve to reveal his wounds.

"How'd you get those?" Iggy asked, grimacing at the sight of all the blood on Kage's arm.

"Guillotine in the Shadow Temple," Kage replied shortly.

"That doesn't answer the question," Jiji said coolly.

Kage opened his mouth to retort but hissed softly as Selphie wiped the blood away, starting to dress the wound. When she finished, she tied it tightly, and Kage pulled his sleeve back down.

"...Thanks..."

Kage then stood, moving towards the door.

"Hey, wait a minute-!" Iggy exclaimed.

"Where are you going?" Jiji demanded.

"...I don't know... and I really don't care..." Kage replied softly, "I need some time alone... to think..."

"...Here..." Selphie said softly, taking off his haori and handing it to him. Kage looked at her for a moment before taking it from her.

"...Thanks..." he muttered, not looking at her, "...Take care of yourself...and good luck with your journey home..." He then draped his haori over his shoulders and left without another word. He made his way to the entrance of the city, hesitating at the doorway. "...I was a fool for ever thinking my dreams could be a reality..." he said softly, glancing once over his shoulder, "...I am nothing to them... Nothing..."

He then turned back towards the entrance and vanished outside without another word.

'

Okay... this is my second time posting this. I don't know what happened, but the chapter kept cutting off... let's hope that this time it doesn't.

Also, please review! I want to know what you guys think of my story!

... sadness


	12. Chapter Eleven

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Eleven**

The Great Deku Tree's meadow stood silent, just as it had for years. The tree stood lifeless in the center of the meadow, his empty eyes forever watching over his beloved children. Occasionally, they ventured into his meadow, climbing onto his giant roots and into his branches like they used to. Before he died.

Yugi sat on one of the roots, one hand resting against the trunk for support. She had her eyes closed, one hand settled on her stomach. She'd just gotten over being sick. She was feeling better now, and her nausea had finally subsided.

"I'm back."

She smiled when she heard the voice. She turned her head slightly to see her brother, Koboku, sitting beside her. It was funny, at least in her opinion, how much Link looked like him. Koboku was dressed exactly like Link, sans the cap and gauntlets. Their body structures were similar, but the differences between them were that Koboku was a few inches taller, his eyes were a warm brown, and his hair was a dark shade of green.

He handed her a bottle filled with crystalline water. She took it, giving him a grateful smile, and drank the water slowly.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, nodding slowly. She handed the bottle back to him. "Thank you."

"No problem," he said with a smile, wrapping one arm around her, resting his hand on her shoulder. He tousled her hair slightly, and she smirked, batting his hand away. She looked up at him.

"How is it that you've so readily accepted me as your sister, even though I haven't been around all this time?" she asked.

"Because you and I talked once before," he replied, "Whenever our mother was with child, she'd allow us to speak telepathically with our newest sibling. Everyone enjoyed talking with you. You were always pure and innocent, and always found a way to make us smile."

"...What about Kage?"

Koboku's smile faltered slightly. "When Seir... Kage was born, we were... shocked by his direct contrast to you. One would almost go so far as to say we were disappointed." He shifted his gaze to the ground beneath them. "I can't help but feel that it was because of us that he was always getting into trouble and being punished for things he didn't do..."

Yugi was silent for a moment. "He doesn't hold it against you or the others," she said, "If anything, he blames himself."

Koboku didn't reply but instead looked towards the entrance to his meadow. They could hear laughter coming from the forest. Yugi watched as a grimace of pain crossed his face.

"...It still hurts, doesn't it? Not being able to be closer to your children?"

"I raised the Kokiri for thousands of years..." he replied, "They were always my priority, as all children should be. When I died, I knew I could never be as close to them as I used to, even if I still lived among them. Even if I became another tree, they might not think of me as the father I had always been."

"Ganondorf has done much to destroy everything that you and the others worked so hard to create..." Yugi said softly.

"He killed me, tricked Jabun into swallowing the heiress of his race, brainwashed Volvagia and forced him to devour his own people, and disrupted the unity between Din, Farore, and Nayru," Koboku muttered, "And Suna's all bent out of shape because she thinks the corruption of Ganondorf was her fault, even though we all know it was because of the war..." Koboku laughed dryly. "How ironic that Kage would be the only one spared."

"...That's because he had already killed most of the Sheikah," Yugi said softly, "A Shadow attacked him, and forced him into a demonic state. He could easily have destroyed Hyrule if he had gotten completely out of control."

"What snapped him out of it?"

"...A mortal girl named Selphie," Yugi replied, "Her presence actually snapped him out of the demonic trance."

"Perhaps that is why he never spoke to us..." Koboku sighed, "...Did he give up his immortality for this girl?"

"No," Yugi replied, shaking her head, "He lived in a cave for all that time, so that he wouldn't hurt anyone else. However, as fate would have it, Selphie is a time traveler, and she has come to this time. Because of that, Kage came out of hiding, and he's finally back to normal."

"...And you were separated from him by the power of a light arrow?"

"Yes," Yugi replied, giving him a slight nod.

"...So you are the only one who hasn't suffered Ganondorf's evil ways?"

"...I came face to face with him... in the Sacred Realm..." Yugi whispered, lowering her head so that her hair hid her eyes, "...I was banished to the Sacred Realm for interfering with the life of a mortal. He... Ganondorf... took advantage of the situation..."

"..." Koboku wrapped one arm around her, holding her close, "That must have been a frightening ordeal... How did you escape without the high council coming after you?"

"...My hero came..." Yugi replied with a small smile. Noticing Koboku's confused expression, she laughed. "You'll see." She leapt down from the root, looking up at him. "Hide somewhere, but make sure you have a clear view of the meadow." Koboku nodded slightly and vanished. Yugi then turned towards the entrance, moving slowly to the center of the meadow. Less than five minutes later, Link appeared at the meadow's entrance.

"Yugi?" he asked, moving towards her, "I got your message. Is something wrong?" Yugi smiled, taking his hands.

"Nothing is wrong. I just have something that I want to tell you." She put her mouth to his ear, whispering softly. Link's eyes widened, and he stared at her in shock.

"You're serious...?!"

Yugi nodded. She smiled, pulling a ring from her pocket. She took Link's hand, slipping the ring on his finger.

"And now I take thee as mine... My husband until the day I die..." she whispered, smiling up at him. Link stared at her in surprise, but smiled as well, pulling out a ring from his own pocket, sliding it on her finger.

"And now I take thee as mine..." he echoed, "My wife until the day I die." He then pressed his lips against her, holding the kiss for a while before finally pulling away. Yugi sighed contentedly, wrapping her arms around him. Link wrapped his arms around her as well, holding her close, smiling when she rested her head on his shoulder.

"...Your sisters are going to kill me now," he said, laughing softly.

"That's why I didn't ask them to bear witness to our marriage," Yugi replied.

"But out marriage isn't official if someone didn't witness it," he said, looking at her.

"Someone saw it," she said with a soft laugh. Link stared back at her in confusion. Yugi then turned her head slightly, looking toward the mighty tree.

"The Great Deku Tree?" Link asked, still confused.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Yugi said, laughing softly. She turned away from Link. "You can come out now!" she called. Link stared at her in silence, and jumped when somebody appeared in front of them. This person looked vaguely familiar, dressing very similarly to the way the Kokiri did, his green hair very unkempt, nearly hiding his eyes, which were staring at Link and Yugi in shock.

"I must say, Yugi," the man said softly, "Of all the men in Hyrule, he was not the one I would have expected you to choose to give up your immortality for."

"Well, he is the man who rescued me from the Sacred Realm, Koboku," Yugi sighed, "He's also the person who managed to cancel out Kage's demonic powers with the light arrow."

"Still," Koboku replied, glancing at Link, "I'm the one who raised him. He was always getting into trouble and getting into fights with the other boys. Not to mention that he would constantly go into the Lost Woods even without a fairy partner to look after him."

"...So... you were the Great Deku Tree?" Link asked, mildly surprised.

"Aye," Koboku replied, "I am known as Koboku. I remember you well, Link. You're the only child I raised that wasn't my own."

"...This is going to be a bit awkward for me..." Link said, scratching his head.

"How so?" Yugi asked.

"Well, all these years I've been regarding the Great Deku Tree... Koboku... as a father-figure," Link said softly, "Now I'm supposed to look at him as a brother-in-law..."

"...That _is_ disturbing," Koboku said with a soft laugh, "Well, what is meant to be is meant to be. I hope you two live long and happy lives. If you have children, be sure to let me know."

"We will," Yugi replied, smiling at him. Link shifted uneasily, but smiled as well.

"Now, where are you two staying?" Koboku asked, "Not in your old house, I hope, that's awfully small."

"We're having a house built by the lake," Link replied, "The carpenters owed me a favor for saving them from Gerudo Fortress, so I finally decided to take them up on the offer. It should be done before nightfall."

"You should probably get going then. It will be dusk soon," Koboku said, "Also, if you see Kage, tell him to visit me sometime, okay?"

"We'll do that," Yugi said with a nod. Koboku smiled, waving slightly before he disappeared, and Link wrapped one arm around Yugi's waist, leading her to the entrance of the meadow.

"Do you really think I'm that unreliable?" he asked. Seeing her smirk, he quickly said, "Don't answer that."

"I think—"

"You be quiet!" Link commanded.

"Make me!" Link smirked, pulling her closer as he pressed his lips against hers in a kiss. She laughed softly. That certainly did the job of keeping her quiet for most of the trip to the lake. When they reached the lake, the sun was finally setting, and they could see the carpenters getting their stuff together after having finished the house.

"So it's all done?" Link asked.

"Yeah," the master carpenter said, "Sturdy as a rock. Best work we've done in a while, I'd say."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Link said with a smile.

"No problem," the master said, clapping one hand on Link's shoulder, "If it weren't for you, these slackers would still be captives of the Gerudo, locked away in that fortress."

Yugi poked Link's side, smirking at him. Link laughed nervously.

"It was nothing, really..."

"Anyway, we'd best be off," the master said as he brushed past Link, "We have more matters to attend to."

"Take care," Yugi said with a smile.

"Likewise, ma'am."

They waited for the carpenters to leave before they ventured inside their new home. Link showed Yugi the house, the kitchen, the bathroom, the den, and the bedrooms upstairs. The tour ended with the master bedroom, and Yugi sat heavily on the bed.

"So, what exactly inspired you to have them make the house look like this?" Yugi asked Link, "It's awfully big for the two of us."

"I figured we'd need a larger house with plenty of room," Link replied, sitting down next to her, "because I don't intend to leave it at just the two of us for long." He smirked, kissing her cheek, and Yugi laughed, pushing him gently.

"Is that all that's on your mind?" she asked.

"Damn straight."

Yugi smiled, returning the kiss. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you," she said softly, "You're incorrigible."

"You can at least say that you love me."

Yugi laughed softly as she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down onto the bed. She kissed him gently, sighing softly as he returned the embrace.

"...I love you."

'

And that's chapter eleven. It would've been up last night, but I didn't get it done in time.

Reaka, this story will not be done for a long, long, long time. :p I'll let you know when it's over by putting 'The End' at the bottom.

Also, Yugi and Link have a secret and they're not telling! gags Selphie You cannot tell them! :p Everyone must wait to figure it out. Buuuut.... I think they already know. lol

"_And the passion that burned from the room was like a becon to all of Hyrule stating their love for each other._"


	13. Chapter Twelve

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Twelve**

It was a cool night, harkening the coming of winter as the nights came sooner and lasted longer. The Lost Woods were silent as death, not even the sound of the nocturnal birds and rodents could be heard. At least, not from where Kage was. Kage was in a dark part of the woods, bundled up tightly in his father's haori. He sat on one of the high branches of a large tree, hidden by the foliage as he slept, unbothered by the cool night air.

As Kage slept, a small figure shrouded in the darkness that enveloped the forest entered the area, pausing to look around. The figure seemed to notice Kage, and he abruptly teleported onto a nearby branch. He observed Kage as he continued to sleep, smirking at his sleeping charge, who was completely oblivious to his presence. He then leaned close to him, fighting back the urge to laugh.

"…WAKE UP!!!"

Kage jumped, overbalancing himself and falling off the branch. He grunted as he felt the figure grab him by his left arm, suspending him several feet above the ground. Kage's sword appeared in his free hand and he swung it wildly at his alleged assailant, but was unable to reach him at that angle.

"Let go of me, dammit!" he yelled.

"As you wish… little brother."

Kage was released and he yelled when he landed hard on his back, the air suddenly forced from his lungs. He forced himself to sit up, grimacing as he watched his assailant jump down from the branch, landing gracefully in front of him.

"Dammit, Volvagia, do you derive pleasure from tormenting me?!" Kage yelled at his brother.

"But of course," Volvagia replied with a smirk, "That's what older brothers do."

Kage bit his lip but didn't reply. For someone who was his 'older brother', he didn't look the part. Volvagia looked like a teenager, dark-skinned and red-headed, very much like Suna. His appearance, as well as that of Suna's, often made Kage wonder whether or not their appearance was inherited from their father. The Fire God smirked at Kage.

"What's the matter, little Seiryu? Surprised to see your older brother?"

"Don't call me--!" Kage stopped once he heard himself speak. His voice was… different… not as deep as it usually was. In fact, he sounded just like he did when he was still a child…

Kage looked down at himself, his eyes widening in shock when he saw what Volvagia had done to him. While he was distracted, his brother had cast a spell on him that changed him into his younger self. Kage looked back up at Volvagia, who was snickering softly behind his hand.

"YOU BIG JERK!"

Kage launched himself at Volvagia, grabbing at his hair as he tried to hit him. Volvagia grabbed Kage's hand, and Kage retaliated by sinking his teeth into his brother's shoulder. Volvagia yelled, and threw Kage down on the ground.

"Stop it, Volvagia!"

Kage looked up to see Jabun standing beside Volvagia, holding his arms as he struggled to keep his brother away from Kage. Koboku knelt beside Kage, placing one hand on his younger brother's back to help him sit up.

"What's all this about?" Koboku demanded, glaring at Volvagia.

"The little brat _bit_ me!" Volvagia snapped, "He friggin' _bit_ me!!!"

"You're the one who turned me into a kid again, baka!" Kage shot back, "You deserved it!"

"Why, you—!"

"Stop it, Volvagia," Koboku said warningly, rising to his feet. Volvagia glared at Koboku, who stared back at him angrily. Koboku was much taller than him, especially when Volvagia was in the form of a teenager, and also bested him in strength. Therefore, there was no way Volvagia could win, especially with Jabun holding him back.

He let his arms fall to his sides, and Jabun released him.

Koboku then turned back to Kage, who was muttering to himself while he brushed the dirt and leaves from his hair. He sat down next to Kage, placing one hand on his head. "…It's been a while."

"Yes, it has," Kage replied, not looking up at him.

"How come you haven't spoken to us since we actually created Hyrule?" Jabun asked.

"…'Cause something happened…"

"…Would that be when the Shadow attacked you five or six hundred years ago?" Volvagia asked as he and Jabun seated themselves near Kage, Volvagia to Kage's right, and Jabun directly in front of him.

Kage bit his lip, but didn't respond.

"…How did you know about that when the rest of us didn't?" Koboku asked, looking at Volvagia with one eyebrow raised in confusion. Volvagia sighed softly, looking at Kage.

"…I watched it happen."

"AND YOU DIDN"T DO ANYTHING?!" Kage shouted at him.

Volvagia scowled, smacking Kage's right arm. "The damned Shadow put up a barrier," he snapped, "I couldn't do anything, and believe me, I tried."

When Volvagia struck his arm, Kage yelped, grabbing at the area Volvagia had hit. Tears welled up in his eyes as pain coursed through his arm. (Not only had Volvagia's spell made him look younger, it made him act younger as well.) Jabun rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Seiryu, he didn't hit you _that_ hard…"

"I got hurt, okay?!" Kage snapped, "I punched one of the damned guillotines in the Shadow Temple, and my arm got sliced up badly…"

"Why the hell did you do that?" Volvagia asked as Koboku moved over to Kage's right side, lifting up the sleeve of his kimono to expose the bandage, which was saturated with blood. Koboku slowly started to unravel it, revealing the many bloody cuts. They had finally started to heal, but they still bled pretty badly.

"…a girl passed out under the blade… I couldn't let her die, so I had to do something…" Kage replied. He inhaled sharply as Koboku turned his arm, carefully examining his wounds. "That hurts…!" Kage said softly.

"Don't whine," Koboku said shortly, "…When did you get these wounds?"

"…What's today?" Kage asked.

"…The twelfth of December…" Jabun replied.

"Um… about three months ago… give or take a few days…"

"THREE MONTHS?!" Jabun and Volvagia exclaimed simultaneously. Kage cringed involuntarily.

"Your wounds should've healed by now…" Koboku said softly. Kage looked away, staring at the ground in silence. Koboku frowned slightly, grabbing Kage by the chin and forcing him to look at him.

"…Why did you give up your immortality?"

Kage pulled away, not wanting to look at his brothers. "…I did it to buy myself time…" he said softly.

"…That doesn't sound like you at all, Seiryu…" Jabun sighed, shaking his head.

"Stop calling me that," Kage said shortly, "That's not my name anymore."

"What is it, then?" Volvagia asked with a sneer.

"It's Kage," Koboku answered, looking at Volvagia.

"'Kage'?" Volvagia asked, letting out a short laugh, "How unoriginal can you get, naming yourself 'shadow'?"

"I didn't come up with it," Kage replied, "Yugi did."

"…Yugi?" Jabun asked, "…How is she alive?"

"I got shot with a light arrow and she just appeared," Kage replied, "Her soul was inside me, that much I know." He watched as Koboku opened a small pouch attached to his belt, pulling out several crushed leaves. He sprinkled them over Kage's wounds and, pulling out a bottle filled with water, poured the ice-cold water onto Kage's arm, forcing a shout of pain from Kage's lips. He tried to pull away, but Koboku held Kage's arm firmly. Kage gritted his teeth, turning his head away and closing his eyes as he could feel the leaves dissolve and enter the wounds, soon absorbed into his bloodstream. After a few moments, Koboku pulled out a spare cloth, wiping the wounds clean before redressing the wound.

"…So, who was this girl that you mentioned earlier?" Koboku asked, "The girl you saved?"

"Huh?" Kage looked up at his brother in confusion.

"…Was it Selphie?"

"Huh?!" Kage's eyes widened slightly, "You know Selphie?"

"Who's Selphie?" Jabun asked, looking to Koboku.

"Yugi told me about a girl that Kage met immediately before he was attacked by the shadows," Koboku replied.

"Yeah, I remember her…" Volvagia said softly, biting his thumb gently, "What about her?"

"The girl's a time-traveler, and she's come to this time."

"…" Jabun and Volvagia exchanged glances, and they smirked.

"Seiryu's got a girlfriend," Volvagia said teasingly.

"I DO NOT!" Kage shot back.

"Aw, come on, don't be so modest," Jabun said with a laugh, tousling Kage's hair. Kage smacked his hand.

"Shut up," he said darkly, "She already has someone back home, and she has no intentions of staying in Hyrule."

The three brothers exchanged glances, frowning slightly. Koboku then pulled Kage into a firm embrace.

"We didn't mean anything by it," he said softly, "We were just teasing you."

Kage was silent.

"…It's what brother's do," Jabun added, "Trust me when I say this, but Koboku wasn't at all nice to us when we were little."

"You weren't very nice to _me_, Jabun," Volvagia said, sticking his tongue out at him.

"I don't need to now," Jabun retorted with a smirk. He then caught his younger brother in a headlock, roughly rubbing his knuckles against the top of Volvagia's head. Volvagia yelped, struggling to get away. Koboku laughed softly, but his laughter soon died when he noticed Kage.

"…Kage, tell us what's wrong. It isn't good to keep your emotions bottled up inside…"

Kage frowned slightly. He hated when his own words were used against him.

"…This just feels weird… being with you three after so long…" he said softly, "…All my life, I felt like I didn't belong with the family… especially because I was alone most of the time and I only really felt like people noticed me whenever I did something wrong…"

"…That would explain why you suddenly became such a wild card when you reached adolescence…" Jabun said softly, finally releasing Volvagia.

"…It just feels strange… For the first time, I feel like part of the family…" Kage's words were soft, near-inaudible. Koboku frowned slightly, tightening his grip on his little brother slightly.

"That's our fault for not giving you a chance," he replied, "We may not have admitted it in the beginning, but we care about you as our brother, and we want to make sure you're okay. We want to make sure our little brother is alive and doing well, especially now that he's mortal." He tousled Kage's hair lightly, and Kage smiled.

"Yeah, yeah… thanks."

"At any rate, we should get going," Koboku said, rising to his feet, "It's almost dawn." Jabun and Volvagia rose to their feet, and Kage suddenly realized something and leapt to his feet.

"Waitaminute!" he yelled, "Change me back!"

"Nuh-uh," Volvagia said with a grin, "This form suits you. You've got the maturity of a five-year-old."

"Change. Me. Back!" Kage shouted, waving his arms angrily.

"Just do it or he'll never shut up," Jabun whispered to Volvagia. Koboku hit them both in the backs of their heads. Volvagia sighed, waving his hand slightly, and Kage changed back into an adult. The change was drastic, at least to Jabun and Koboku, who stared at Kage with wide eyes.

"Well, whaddaya know…" Jabun said softly, "The runt of the litter grows up to be the tallest."

Koboku looked up at Kage, placing one hand on his head. "…You're at least an inch taller than me…" he breathed.

Although he didn't show it, Kage felt very pleased with himself.

"Anyway, let's go," Volvagia said, "We'll see you later, Seiryu."

Kage sighed, rolling his eyes inwardly. He watched as his brothers vanished, most likely teleporting back to their respective temples. Kage looked back up at the tree he had been sitting in and sighed heavily.

'_They could've at least visited me during the day… I lost a lot of sleep thanks to them…_'

He sighed again, pulling his haori tightly around him as he left the clearing. Speaking of visiting, he decided that it was time to see Yugi, to congratulate her on her marriage (as much as he disapproved of it). He coughed, starting slightly when he realized that he could see his breath. He was certain that it would snow sometime within the next month. He looked up at the sky, looking to the rising sun. He then turned south and headed towards the lake.

---

Disclaimer: I own Kage, and the humanoid forms of Koboku, Jabun, and Volvagia. The charas they were based off of, (The Great Deku Tree, Jabu Jabu/Jabun, and Volvagia), do not.

Author's Notes: I will always love this chapter. No matter how many times I read it, I laugh. Hehehe n.n I editted this chapter because Volvagia accidentally said 'little brother' instead of 'older brother' like I'd intended. Also, I had to do something to make the times fit. x.X This is supposed to be three months later. So I changed it so that it said three hours. Is that it? Um... yeah. o.o


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Thirteen**

It was late evening when Selphie reached the lake. She had decided to go congratulate them on their new home, but was late in leaving, as Darunia had tried to dissuade her, as he thought that Kage might be there. Apparently he was suspicious of Kage and was always expecting him to do something to her, even though, as Selphie constantly reminded him, Kage was bound by Divine Law not to do anything to hurt her. Selphie didn't care if the former Shadow God was there. It wasn't as if she were actually staying.

She neared the house, hesitating slightly when she heard laughter inside. The lights were on, but she couldn't see anybody. Perhaps they were in a room towards the back?

Selphie knocked on the door, and waited patiently for someone to open the door. After a moment's wait, the door slowly opened, and Selphie found herself face to face with Kage. They stared at each other for a moment, and Selphie noticed a slightly panicky look in Kage's eyes. He managed to recover quickly, and he stepped aside to let her in. Selphie stepped into the room cautiously, and Kage shut the door behind her. He wouldn't look at her, which she found to be rather strange.

"…Where are Link and Yugi?" she asked.

"In the back," Kage replied, "…I'm not sure how to explain their current state…" He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "They are… quite…"

There was a loud crash, which caused Selphie to jump.

"…drunk."

"Drunk?" Selphie echoed, looking at him in surprise. Kage gestured for her to follow, starting down the hallway. Selphie followed him to the back room, where Link and Yugi were found sitting on the floor, giggling like idiots. Yugi's hair was no longer neatly tied back, but it hung in loose curls about her body, and one of the straps of her dress had slid down one of her shoulders. Link was tunic-less, and his cap was missing too. That was the first time that Selphie realized how long Link's hair really was. It barely brushed his shoulders, and from the slight wave around the base of his neck, it looked like he kept it tied back most of the time.

Selphie noticed that the table in front of them was littered with glass bottles, some of them on their side, most of them empty. Those that weren't had a few milliliters of a white liquid. Selphie picked up one of the bottles.

"What the hell? Is this… milk?"

"Special import from Termina," Kage clarified, "Chateau Romani."

"Oh no…" Selphie sighed, looking at the giggling couple, "I used to wonder why my dad liked the stuff so much…"

"What I'm wondering is why three glasses each made them act like this, when it hasn't affected me in the least…" Kage shrugged.

"I had fffour, thank you very musch…" Link said groggily.

"Like it matters," Kage muttered, "You're still a stupid drunk."

"I heard that," Link said, sticking out his tongue at the Shadow God. Yugi giggled softly and then started to play with Link's hair. Link leaned into her touch before tossing his head, saying, "I feel like a woman."

"What?" Kage stared at Link in bewilderment.

"Well, ishn't it obvioush?" Link said, "She's always playin' with my hairrr and I'm always wearrring that green dresssh."

"Well that's been your decision, not ours," Kage sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Are you picking a fight with me?" Link asked, narrowing his eyes.

"As if," Kage said darkly, "I wouldn't fight you like this. You're too incoherent to fight."

"It's not like you could kill me anyway," Link said with a slight hiccup. From the look in his eyes, he was sobering up.

"If I wanted to, all I'd have to do is tear that amulet from around your neck…" Kage's eyes widened slightly when he realized what he'd said, and he winced when Link slammed his hands on the table, rising to his feet. He then brushed by Kage, pushing him roughly to the side. Kage watched as Link left, and yelped when Selphie punched his arm. "Ow!"

"That's what you get," Selphie chastised him.

"I wasn't thinking!" Kage cried defensively.

Yugi watched as Link left, and she, too, stood, following him out of the room. She followed him outside, around towards the back of the house.

"Link… love… let's go back inside…" she said softly, wrapping her arms around him gently. Link's body tensed slightly, as though he wanted to push her away, but stood as still as he could.

"… Just… leave me alone… for a little while… okay…?"

"…" Yugi let go of him and backed away. "…Okay…" She turned and went back around the house, not going to the door, but going instead to the lakeside. She sat down at the water's edge, sighing heavily while she watched her reflection on the water. She closed her eyes, shivering in the cold. She felt so alone right now. She hated being alone. She was afraid to be alone. Especially at night. There was that constant feeling… that He was behind her… that He was so close that she could almost catch his scent on the wind or feel his breath on the back of her neck. She wanted to forget it, but it was too soon to forget. It was still an open wound, and it was likely to be there for a while.

"…Rupee for your thoughts, dear sister?"

Yugi started slightly when she heard Nayru's voice. She opened her eyes and saw her sister's reflection on the water.

"…I couldn't sense you…" she said softly, "…What's happening to me…?"

"You're mortal now," Nayru replied, "Your powers are slowly fading. It will only be a matter of time before you lose them completely." A leaf floated down onto the water, scattering the image of her sister. Yugi's eyes widened slightly and she started forward, but stopped when she felt Nayru's arms around her, gently stroking her golden-blond hair. Yugi leaned back against her sister. Such a comforting embrace…Kage had been lucky to have lived to enjoy the comfort of being in the arms of any one of his sisters, or his brothers for that matter. She, Yugi, wasn't allowed to have that comfort.

But then… if she hadn't been killed to allow Kage his chance… Kage wouldn't have been given the chance to even enjoy life… and life was still something to cherish, even when it is full of hardships. She was originally to be the goddess of light, the giver of life. She had known these things her whole life. Her own death had strengthened these views.

"…What's going to happen now? I won't be able to see you, Farore and Din as much, will I?"

"You will see us more often than you think," Nayru said softly, "While the laws forbid interfering with mortal lives, we are allowed to visit family members that have chosen to be mortal."

"But what about Link?"

"He is part of the family because he is bound to you," Naryu replied, "You have nothing to worry about. And if you two ever have children, we will be sure to visit you. You know I love children." She grinned, hugging Yugi tightly. Yugi's face burned, but she did not speak for a moment. After a moment, she managed a small smile, placing one hand on Nayru's.

"…Thank you."

"Not a problem, dear sister." Silence lingered for another moment, and Yugi looked up at the sky. The moon was waning, and it was going into its crescent phase.

'…_Crescent…_'

"Nayru… is there any way to free Link from Chronos's Crescent without him dying…?" she asked softly.

Nayru was silent, but held Yugi close, her smile fading. "…I honestly don't know if there is a way to help that… I couldn't tell you. That pendant is not a artifact of this realm. It's from beyond even our grasps. We've only heard rumors about it. It's a miricale that he's even alive…" She paused thoughtfully, staring up at the sky. Her eyes widened slightly. "…That might work…" she whispered to herself.

"What?" Yugi asked curiously.

"…I'll tell you tomorrow. We'll meet here, same time as tonight, okay? I need to talk with Din and Farore first." Yugi was silent, but nodded slowly. "Alright. I have to go now. Take care, okay, Yugi?" Nayru squeezed her shoulder gently, giving her another smile. Yugi nodded again, and felt the cold air close around her as Nayru vanished, leaving her alone.

Yugi slowly stood. She didn't care if Link wanted to be left alone right now. She didn't want to be alone. She moved to the back of the house, stopping short. Link wasn't there. She frowned, looking around for him, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. She opened her mouth to call for him, but stopped when she noticed a shadow on the roof.

Link.

She grimaced. How was she going to get up there? She couldn't jump, and there was no way she'd be able to climb. She sighed. With her waning powers, she likely didn't have the strength to levitate up there… She sighed, closing her eyes as she focused what was left of her powers, concentrating them into a levitation spell. She managed to float a few inches off the ground, and she let out a soft sigh. It had worked. She slowly moved towards the roof, having trouble keeping herself balanced. She was barely four feet off the ground when the spell broke, and she fell. Her hands flew out, catching the edge of the roof, halting her descent.

Yugi swallowed hard, struggling to pull herself up. She grimaced, closing her eyes as she mustered all of her strength to pull herself up. Why did she have to have such a weak mortal body? That was likely the reason she felt so helpless without her powers. She would need to have Link train her to build up her strength and endurance. Especially if she needed to defend herself while Link was away for some reason or another.

She managed to pull her upper body up onto the roof, grunting as she pulled her legs up as well. Her skirt caught on the ledge, however, and the fabric was ripped. Her leg scraped the ledge, and a large cut was made, reaching from mid-thigh to her knee. She scowled, closing her eyes, but ignored the pain, going to Link, kneeling beside him.

"Link…?"

Link had his knees tucked to his chest, his head bowed so that his hair hid his face. His eyes were somewhat glazed, as if he were in a trance. Yugi frowned, wrapping her arms tightly around him, burying her face into his shoulder. "…Link… come back… I'm…" she broke off, as though ashamed to say the next word. She felt him tense slightly when she touched him, and then he was still for a minute. Then, one arm slid slowly around her waist, pulling her close.

"…I didn't go anywhere, Yugi." He lifted his head slightly to look at her, managing a small smile. She returned it weakly, tightening her grip on him.

"…I don't like being outside at night. I know it's been three months… but still… I can't help but feel afraid… You'd think I'd be over it by now... It's frustrating, not being able to be alone for a time and not be afraid... Especially at night..." Her smile faded, and she closed her eyes, biting her lip. "Please... stay by my side... Give me strength to not be afraid..."

"Yugi, you know I won't leave you. Not now, not ever," Link kissed her forehead gently, holding her close. Yugi smiled again.

"…Let's go back inside. This was supposed to be a night for fun."

"All right." Link stood, pulling Yugi to her feet. He then pulled her arms around his neck, hooking his own under her knees, pulling her onto his back. Yugi made a startled noise, clinging to him tightly to keep herself from falling. Link smiled, turning his head slightly to look at her. "Jump?"

Yugi nodded slowly, resting her head against his shoulder. She was glad that Link wasn't as... stressed... upset... as before. She felt better now. She felt more secure. There was no reason to be scared anymore.

Link jumped down from the roof, landing a few feet from the door. He set Yugi down gently, pushing the door open. "After you?" he said, giving her a smile. Yugi returned the smile, moving to the door. Just before she was inside the door, she grabbed his hand, pulling him inside with her before shutting the door. She then hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. Surprised, Link returned the embrace, holding her close. Yugi closed her eyes, sighing softly. Nothing mattered right now. She just wanted to be with Link for now. To hell with the rest of the world. This was their night. She didn't want anything to spoil it.

Author's Notes: Yeah, it's been a while. >> Sorry, sorry. I lost all desire to write this from a state of depression, but Selphie's recent updates in another story she's working on has given me new inspiration. The next chapter is more than halfway done and might be up tonight. .. It's funnier than this one. Trust me. o.o um... ya. Enjoy.  
-flee-


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Fourteen**

"…So how come you're here?" Selphie asked, "Here to congratulate Link and Yugi as well?"

She stood in front of the door, waiting for Link and Yugi to come back. Kage, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on the floor, his back against the wall.

"Yeah… I also came to ask for advice, but Yugi was too drunk to really pay attention," Kage said softly, "I'm running out of time… I don't know how much longer I have." He pulled his haori tightly around him. Selphie stared at him for a long while, unable to find the right words to comfort him. Running out of time? Time for what?

She walked over to Kage, sitting down next to him. He looked at her in surprise, and she smiled, placing her hand on his cheek. "Whatever the problem is, we're here for you, 'kay?"

Kage was silent, but averted his gaze. Apparently he didn't think so. Selphie sighed. She understood why he felt that way. He was so used to being alone, used to fighting his own battles… he didn't know what it was to have a friend, to have family that cared. But still… he could at least give them the chance.

"…Thanks…"

Selphie started slightly at the word. "…Huh…?"

"…Thanks… I appreciate what you're doing…" Kage repeated, "…but…" He cut himself off there. He would have added more, but decided against it. Selphie grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. He shifted uncomfortably, but did not fight her.

"…but…?"

"…but there's nothing anyone can do to help. This is something I've brought upon myself. All I wanted was advice… to ease the pain of knowing what is to come. There is no way I can delay the inevitable. The least I can do is accept it, and find a way to ignore the pain of waiting for it to come to pass."

Selphie stared at him for a moment, studying his face carefully. His face bore no expression, but she could see that his eyes held pain, sadness…

…Fear…?

She withdrew her hand, and he abruptly turned his head away. She stared at him thoughtfully. '_Whatever was bothering him must be bad if he's actually afraid of it…_' she thought, '_…I wonder what it could be…?_' She stared at him for a moment longer before moving to the table, grabbing a bottle of Chateau Romani.

"Kage."

He turned to look at her and nearly got smacked in the face by the bottle. He caught it just before it could. He started at her, a look of confusion crossing his face.

"Here's some advice for you to get your mind off of it:" Selphie said, grabbing a bottle before sitting down beside him again, "Eat, drink, and be merry. Well, since there's no food set out, we can only meet it two-thirds of the way. So let's drink, forget about it all, and have a good time while we're at it, 'kay?"

Kage stared at her in confusion, but nodded slowly. Selphie uncorked her bottle, and Kage followed suit. She held hers up slightly, giving him a small smile. "To forgetting?"

Kage stared at her for a moment before returning the smile, tapping his bottle against hers, the glass making a crystalline '_clink_' as the bottles struck one another.

"To forgetting."

Selphie took a small sip of her milk. The taste was rather sweet, the white liquid rich and flavorful as it slid down her throat. She paused to take a breath, thinking about it for a minute. "…Now I know why my father loved this stuff so much," she commented.

"…You mean they had this stuff in your time, too?" Kage asked before taking a moderate-sized gulp of his.

"Uh-huh," Selphie said, taking another, much larger drink. She paused thoughtfully. "I wonder how they get it to taste this way."

"I try not to," Kage said, shuddering at the thought.

"Why not?" Selphie looked up at him.

"I have a feeling it has something to do with the cows in Termina being abducted around the time of the Carnival of Time," Kage replied, "If that's the case, I'd rather not think about what happens to the cows."

"…I see."

Selphie stopped to take another drink, but none of the sweet milk passed her lips. She frowned, looking into the bottle. It was empty. She stopped, looking at the bottles on the table. She thought about it for a minute. "What the hell." She grabbed a second bottle, uncorked it, and drank.

"Um… Selphie… you may want to drink that in moderation," Kage said uneasily, "You might end up drunk like Link and Yugi did."

"Meh," Selphie said as she drained the second bottle, "As I said, this is a night for fun and forgetting. So if it means we get drunk, then what the hell, we get drunk." She reached for a third bottle, and Kage sighed, shaking his head.

Before he was halfway done with his first, Selphie was already on her fourth. By now, Selphie was quite drunk. She was giggling like an idiot, leaning against Kage to keep herself upright. Kage, meanwhile, was doing his best to remain sane. Link and Yugi had been enough stress on his nerves while they were drunk, but Selphie? That was too much.

Selphie looked up at Kage, grinning from ear to ear. "Yeah, this is most definitely glass," Selphie said tapping her glass with her fingernail. "You know how I know that?" She didn't even wait for an answer. "Because it's called a glass. But I guess that's debatable since you could also call it so many other things, like cup, tumbler, goblet, half-un-full." She peered at the milk that rested at the bottom of the glass. "I wonder how many times I can say glass in one sentence? My glassy glass made of glass is empty from the top of the glass to the bottom of the glass, so could someone, possibly made from glass or who wears glassy glasses made of special glass to help them see, please take the glassy glass-bottle made of glass and pour some milk from the glassy glass-bottle made of glass into my little-er glassy glass made of glass so that it's not empty from the top of the glassy glass made of glass to the bottom of the glassy glass made of glass? Let's see, that's many glasses all in one sentence!"

"Twenty-four," Kage replied, not really caring how or why he was actually counting how many times the girl had said the word 'glass.' Selphie grinned up at him before draining the rest of the bottle. Kage sighed, rolling his eyes. When would the madness end? And what was taking Link and Yugi so long to come inside?!

"Looks like you two are having fun."

Kage turned his head slightly to see Link and Yugi standing in the doorway. Thanks to the break they had taken, both had sobered up considerably, and wouldn't be drinking the Chateau Romani any time soon.

"Yeah, quite a bit of fun," Kage said, rolling his eyes.

"At least you're admitting to it," Yugi said with a soft laugh.

"Yugi-!"

Selphie, meanwhile, looked at Kage curiously, slightly unknowing of what they were talking about. She took another sip of milk and held the glass over her mouth to hide a smirk. She, of course, knew what they were talking about... somewhere in her psyche, but the milk was drowning it. And, in her mind, at least, something else had been drowned, as well.

And that someone needed...

"Mouth to mouth resuscitation!"

Kage, Yugi and Link jumped when Selphie shouted those words, Kage having had them shouted right in his ear. Selphie then flung herself on Kage, somehow pinning him down. She then pressed her lips against his, thus giving him 'mouth to mouth resuscitation.'

Yugi's arms flew to her stomach as she nearly doubled over laughing. "Oh Gods…" Link said, laughing nearly as hard as he leaned against Yugi, burying his face in her shoulder. Kage, meanwhile, thrashed underneath of Selphie, trying to get his point across that he wanted her off. He didn't want to push her off for fear that he would hurt her. After a minute, Link decided he wanted in on the action too. He pulled Yugi close to him, nearly laughing when he saw her startled expression.

"Your face is a bit pale. Perhaps you need a little mouth to mouth."

He said that rather quickly, and then pressed his lips against hers, holding her close. Yugi stared at him in surprise before smirking, wrapping her arms around him to return the embrace, leaning into his kiss. When they pulled away, Link smirked, kissing Yugi's forehead gently.

"There. That brought some color back to your cheeks."

Yugi stuck her tongue out at him, smacking him playfully, yelping as he pulled her closer so that her body was flush against his. Yugi smirked, turning around to face Selphie and Kage. Link allowed her to turn, but otherwise did not release her. Seeing that Selphie was still giving Kage 'mouth to mouth', Yugi laughed softly.

"Um, Selphie, I think he's breathing now."

Selphie sat up, looking at her. She then stuck her tongue out at the Goddess. "Prove it."

Once Selphie had pulled away, Kage gasped for breath, his eyes wide, his face redder than Link's Goron Tunic. Seeing his expression, the couple burst out laughing, and Kage scowled at them. Selphie looked at Kage and grinned. "Yay! He's breathing!"

"Yeah… that's great… thanks, Selphie… now… get off… please…" Kage said, trying to regain his breath.

Selphie got off obediently, and Kage sat up. Selphie then rested her head on Kage's shoulder. "Mmm…. Tired…" she mumbled into his kimono.

"Yeah, it's about time we all went to bed," Link said, pulling Yugi towards the door.

Yugi smirked at Link. "I'm sure sleeping's not what you have in mind," she said so that only he could hear.

"It never is," he replied, kissing her on the lips.

Selphie, being of such a light frame, quickly fell asleep, her body succumbing to the effects of the milk. However, gravity took its toll, and her head slid off Kage's shoulder, landing in his lap. Kage winced when her head struck his leg, his face burning as he quickly picked her up, repositioning her so that she was sitting in his lap. Kage then started to stand up, but was soon faced with one problem.

His legs wouldn't move.

He looked up at Yugi in bewilderment, but she only smirked at him before she and Link vanished out the door, turning off the lights as they left. Kage groaned, looking down at his sleeping charge. This being an oh-so-much-more-comfortable position, Selphie snuggled against Kage, burying her face into his chest. Kage sighed, leaning back against the wall.

It was going to be a long night.

'

It was some time after one in the morning when Selphie woke up. She opened her eyes, but was only greeted by darkness. With no light to go by, she couldn't see anything. She didn't know why she was awake, or what had woken her up in the first place, but she closed her eyes and was about to drift of to sleep again. She stopped, realizing that she was sitting up, and was in somebody's lap.

And from the flatness of the chest, she could tell that this 'somebody' was not female.

She opened her mouth to scream, but her throat tightened, and no sound came out. She started to feel cold as panic welled up inside of her. Then, she acted on the first thought that came to mind. She drew back her hand, and punched the person as she could across their face.

"OW! What was that for?!"

She stopped. That voice. She recognized it.

"Kage?"

"Yeah… what did you hit me for?" he asked, pressing his hand against his cheek.

"…What happened?" she asked.

"You hit me, that's what!"

"No! I meant last night!"

"Oh. You don't remember?" Kage blinked, staring at her in confusion. Selphie shook her head. "…You drank too much Chateau Romani and got out of hand. You ended up falling asleep on my shoulder, but you fell, so I set you in my lap to keep you from getting hurt. I would have taken you upstairs to one of the bedrooms, but Yugi put a spell on me that made me lose the ability to move my legs." He shrugged slightly, and Selphie just stared at him in silence.

"…So… what, that's it? Nothing happened?"

"Something did, but it's not that serious…" Kage replied.

"…What happened, Kage?" Selphie asked. She wasn't so sure she liked the sound of his voice. She wasn't quite sure she trusted his definition of 'serious.'

"…It's nothing, okay? Don't worry about it…"

"Kage, what happened?" She grabbed his kimono, and Kage stared at her for a moment before replying.

"Does the term 'mouth to mouth resuscitation' ring any bells?"

Selphie stared at him with wide eyes. She had actually…? How could he not find that serious?!

"Oh, I see…" she said, letting go of him, "I take it that it didn't mean anything to you?"

"Huh?!" Kage's eyes widened, "That's not what I meant!"

"Then what? How is something like that not serious?!" Selphie snapped.

"It is!"

"You said it wasn't!"

"Dammit, Selphie…! That's not what I meant at all!"

"Then what the hell did you mean, Kage?!"

"What I meant-!" Kage all but yelled. He stopped, immediately moderating his tone so he wouldn't wake Link and Yugi, assuming they weren't already awake. "…What I meant was that even though yes, it was serious, it was not as serious as what _could_ have happened, considering your drunken state. Okay?"

Selphie remained silent for a moment. "…You didn't think anything of it though?"

"What like…?" he looked at her confusedly. She nodded. He shook his head quickly. "No! No, of course not." Selphie nodded again, slowly, almost… "Well…" She looked back up at him. "I didn't want to… that is…"

"…What?"

"I just…" He sighed, looking down at her. "I don't want to offend you or… betray your trust or hurt you in anyway," he said softly. Selphie listened quietly. "I gave up…" He stopped.

"…You gave up what?" Selphie prompted him.

"…I gave up my immortality…" he said weakly.

Selphie took a moment to let that sink in. "You… gave up your immortality- Kage, why?" she asked incredulously.

"I wanted more time," he answered. "The things I've done… I'm likely to be executed… I wanted to stay because I…" She gave him a prompting look. "Well, I wanted to make sure you got home."

Selphie's eyes widened slightly. "You… Kage… …me?"

He nodded his head. "That's why I always distanced myself. I knew you wanted to go home, so I'd lose you soon anyway, and I just didn't figure you would…" He trailed off again.

"…I would what?" she asked slowly, suspiciously.

"…Like someone like me…" They were silent for a few moments, Selphie from surprise and Kage from nervousness. "So… I just…" He trailed off, turning his head away.

Selphie stared at him for a moment, her mind racing, fumbling for the right words to say, but finding none. She closed her eyes for a minute as she tried to sort everything out. Okay. Kage had given up his immortality to make sure she got home. However, the thing was, he liked her, and didn't think the affections would be returned. She sighed softly, opening her eyes again. She looked up at Kage. She'd never seen him like this before. He seemed so… meek. Almost like a child.

She paused, then placed one hand on his cheek, turning him to face her. Ignoring Kage's confused expression, she just moved her face to his to the point where their lips met. Kage tensed slightly, but he soon relaxed. He found himself leaning into her kiss, but he didn't care for the moment. He didn't know why she had done it, out of sympathy or pity or whatever, but he wanted the moment to last. He didn't want this feeling of security to vanish.

After half a moment, they broke apart. "…What was that for?" Kage asked, raising one eyebrow questioningly.

"…Well… I was thinking… it's a shame that I won't be able to remember my first kiss… so… I figured: why not?"

"…I'm afraid I don't follow…" Kage said softly, now more confused than ever.

Selphie sighed, shaking her head. She snuggled up against Kage, burying her face in his chest. "…I think… that even you deserve a chance, Kage."

Kage was silent for a moment as he took a moment to let it sink in. His eyes widened slightly. "…You mean…?"

"Mmhmm…" Selphie replied, giving him a smile. Kage smiled, brushing her hair away from her face. He paused thoughtfully, then grabbed his haori, which lay on the ground nearby. He then draped it over Selphie so that it would act as a blanket. Selphie stared at it in surprise before looking up at him, giving him another smile. "Arigato."

"Do itashimashite," Kage replied, kissing her forehead gently, "Daisuki."

Selphie snuggled up against him, giving a soft yawn. "Daisuki." Kage smiled, closing his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Within ten minutes, both Selphie and Kage had fallen asleep.

'

Selphie awoke early the next morning to the smell of good food cooking. Her stomach growled at her for denying it food for so long, so Selphie wasn't allowed the luxury of falling back asleep. She sighed softly, comforted by Kage's scent as she lay there for a moment, trying to wake herself up.

Wait…

Her eyes opened slightly as she propped herself up on her elbows, looking around. She was laying on the floor in the same room they had been in the night before. But one thing was missing: Kage. Selphie frowned slightly. How could he be gone? She could have sworn she'd caught his scent earlier.

She sat up, and her blanket fell off of her, landing in her lap. She stared at it a moment before picking it up, looking at it.

Kage's haori.

Selphie raised one eyebrow in confusion. Kage was gone… but he left his haori behind…? What was going on?

Draping the haori over her shoulders as she stood up, she followed the smell of food to the kitchen, where she found Yugi. Yugi gave her a smile when she appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Good morning," Selphie replied, "...Shouldn't Link be fixing _you _breakfast? You should be in bed if you're sick."

"I take it you heard me, huh?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah," Selphie replied, giving her a small smile. Yugi sighed, shrugging.

"Well, someone has to cook the food around here," Yugi said, tasting the food, "Link couldn't cook if his life depended on it."

Selphie laughed softly, somehow not surprised by this information.

"Also…" Yugi said softly, her tone much more serious, "…I rarely get sick, and if I do, it's at least ten times worse than what you heard." She looked at Selphie. "Something I got from Kage. I'll tell you about it while we eat."

"Don't you need Kage's approval?" Selphie asked.

"Considering he left you his father's haori, he trusts you more than he trusts any one of our brothers or sisters. He cherishes the thing. It's the only thing he has that belonged to his father." Yugi put out the fire, and then started to scoop food out onto three plates. Soon the plates held eggs, fruit, and toasted bread, and the three glasses that sat on the table were soon filled with juice. "At any rate, my earlier illness was likely from drinking too much last night combined with too much activity."

"I didn't want to know about that!" Selphie yelped, brushing away the mental images.

"I meant when Link stormed out of the house," Yugi sighed, shaking her head, "All that was just a bit too much for me." She gestured for Selphie to sit, and the girl complied obediently.

"Morning," Link said, tousling Selphie's hair as he entered the room. He then went over to Yugi, giving her a quick kiss before pulling out her chair for her as she sat down. Then, he sat down next to her, glancing over at Selphie. "By the way, Kage said he's going to be out in the fields in a few hours. Said he needed time to think about things. He said he'll be back by noon. However, if you want to go find him, he said he wouldn't be too far from the lake region."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." Selphie gave him a smile, which Link returned before he started to eat. Selphie stared at her food pensively. She was unsure about her decision. How could she know if it was the right thing to do? She barely knew him, and most of what she did know were mostly misconceptions. How could she give her heart to someone she didn't even know.

She blinked, then nodded slightly with silent resolve. Finally, she lifted her head, her gaze resting directly on Yugi.

"…I want you to tell me all that you can… about Kage."

'

Author's Notes: Well! I bet you didn't see THIS coming! Hahahaha! Well, Selphie and I did, but you didn't! :p Nyah.

Finally, some humor! o.o I'm not so good at teh humor, as you can tell, I'm more of an angsty, romance-y person, -coughcoughbigyaoifancoughcough-. ... At any rate, things are looking up for Kage! o.o Or are they? -ominous thunder in the background- Guess not. Well, you'll have to wait to find out! Until next time!

Yoink! -runs away-

Oh, and thanks to Selphie and Reaka for being such devoted reviewers. I love you both! o.o Uber thanks to Selphie for helping me to rewrite the part between Selphie and Kage. I owe you a lot for your help! o.o Honestly, I don't know where I'd be without you.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Kage lay out in the fields, his hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the sky. He had a small smile on his face, his eyes half-closed as he lay there, staring at the clear blue sky that stretched out overhead. He felt so happy right now. He hadn't felt like this in centuries. Hell, he couldn't even recall a time that he'd been this happy.

In his mind, he played back the events that had occurred the night before. The mere memory of Selphie's words, of her kiss… they made his heart soar. He, being part dragon, knew what it was like to fly amongst the clouds freely, without restraint. That was nothing compared to how he felt now.

He closed his eyes, the smile still visible on his face. He would do anything and everything to feel this way forever… at least, as long as Selphie was happy too. No, just his own wouldn't do. It wouldn't be fair. He wanted to make sure she was happy too. He would do anything for her. He even gave up his immortality to be with her. He would probably even give his own life for her.

He sighed contentedly, his smile fading. What he wouldn't give to make time stop, just so he could be with her forever.

He felt someone nudge him in the side with their foot.

"Sleeping? Out in the fields during the daytime? I don't think so."

He opened one eye slightly, his smile reappearing as he saw Selphie standing next to him, wearing his haori draped over her shoulders.

"Y'know, if you had waited for me, I would have gladly come to keep you company," Selphie said with a smile, sitting down next to him.

"Sorry," Kage said, giving her an apologetic smile. Selphie pulled Kage's haori from around her shoulders, laying it out over him as a blanket. She then laid down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder, pulling part of the haori over her as well. Kage wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. His smile faded and he sighed softly. "…I'm so used to being alone. I really don't know how to act around people. That usually gets me into trouble, or worse trouble than I'm already in."

Selphie nodded slightly, her smile fading as well. "…Yugi told me… about how you used to always get in trouble when you were little. She didn't give me the details for anything, but she told me how you were always alone, how you were always blamed whenever something went wrong…"

"Yeah, that's about right," Kage replied, "Not that it matters anymore, right?"

"…I guess not," Selphie said softly, inching closer to him, "…But remember this, okay? You're not alone anymore."

Kage smiled at her, stroking her cheek. "…Daisuki, Selphie." He briefly took notice that the air was slowly getting colder.

"…Daisuki, Kage." She noticed the change in temperature and shivered slightly, inching closer to Kage.

Kage noticed her shiver and frowned, turning his attention back to the sky. It was slowly starting to get darker. He sat up, making sure to support Selphie as he did so, so as not to make her fall. He firmly grasped her shoulders, pulling her to her feet. "…Dammit… Not now…"

His voice sounded slightly panicked, and Selphie looked up at him worriedly. "Kage…?"

Kage turned her to face him. "Selphie, listen to me. Go back to Link and Yugi's place, and whatever you do, don't come back here until I come get you, understand?"

"Kage, what's wrong?" Selphie asked, frowning slightly.

"…I'm out of time," Kage replied, "…Just go. There's no other choice."

"Kage, I'm not leaving you. If something's wrong, just tell me," Selphie said firmly, not budging.

"Dammit, Selphie…" Kage growled, squeezing her shoulders gently. The air was so cold that he could just barely see his own breath. "…I don't want to see you hurt. Just go to Link and Yugi's place and wait for me."

"Kage…!"

"Just go!"

No sooner had he spoken those words when a barrier formed around them approximately thirty feet in diameter. Kage cursed. "Too late!" Something shot up from the ground, aimed directly for Kage. Selphie tried to follow its movements, to see what it was, and realized that it was a long chain, and three more shot up from the ground, launching themselves at the Shadow God. Within seconds, before either of them had a chance to react, the chains were wound tightly about Kage's arms and legs, and several hung about his shoulders and neck, at least three wrapped around his waist. Kage scowled, struggling against his bonds, but they refused to yield to his strength. He grimaced, turning his attention skyward, and Selphie followed his gaze.

She all but jumped when she saw the dark shape floating in the air before them. It took her a moment to realize that it was a person, a woman clothed in black robes. Her skin was extremely pale, her hair unkempt, a mix of black and silver. She had a scarf over her left eye, but her right was black, a surprisingly darker shade (if it were possible) than her hair or her clothes. She slowly descended, landing gracefully before them. Selphie took notice of a scroll in her left hand, but soon focused her attention on the woman's face.

"…It's been a long time… Seiryu…" the woman said softly, her gaze focused directly on Kage.

"…Yes, Shiori… it has been a long time…" Kage replied softly.

Selphie looked up at Kage. "You _know_ her?"

Kage didn't reply, but turned his head away.

"…I would understand why you refused to accept the High Council's decision to make us betrothed, Seiryu… but this girl is but a child. Why would you choose one so young?"

Selphie was aware of Shiori's gaze resting on her. However, it was that one word… '_betrothed_'… it echoed in Selphie's mind. She looked up at Kage with wide eyes. "…'betrothed'…?!"

"…It was called off centuries ago…" Kage replied, "…If I get the chance… I'll explain later…"

"Kage…!"

"I would advise you back away, girl… unless you want to share his punishment…" Shiori said, starting to unroll the scroll.

"No," Selphie said, glaring at her defiantly, "Not until someone tells me what's going on, or who the hell you are! And what the hell is up with this?!" She pulled on Kage's chains, which still refused to yield.

"When a deity breaks one of the Divine Laws, a single chain appears to act as a warning, weighing heavily on them as a reminder of their crime. When they persist, more appear, and finally the deity is banished from the mortal realm. In extreme cases, Gods and Goddesses of Judgment have to appear in person, and the chains are much stronger, to help ensure the safety of any and all beings that are around when the sentence is given." She rolled up the scroll again, turning her gaze to Selphie. "…Seiryu has committed many crimes… and he has to answer for them…"

"Dammit, stop calling him that!" Selphie snapped, "His name is Kage!"

"Selphie… please… don't make this any harder than it already is…" Kage said softly, still not looking at her, "…The last thing I want… is for you to suffer… because of me."

Selphie wheeled about to face him. "Kage…!"

Shiori sighed, sending out a small blast of energy that managed to knock Selphie away from Kage. Shiori then unrolled her scroll, clearing her throat slightly. It hovered in the air in front of her, and she began to read it aloud:

"…Seiryu, son of the demon known as Shinigami…" Shiori's voice changed, becoming much more cold and emotionless, "You are hereby charged with these offenses: directly interfering in the lives of mortals… several counts of murder, including the death of a chosen Hero… several counts of assault… taking on an unregistered form… allowing said form to take on a life of its own… and interfering with the life of a deity who has chosen mortality. Your punishment…"

The scroll began to glow, and Kage swallowed hard. Shiori grimaced slightly, which startled Selphie. Shiori opened her mouth slightly to voice Kage's sentence, but faltered for a moment, closing her mouth again. Then, after a moment (which to Selphie felt like ages) had passed, Shiori finally spoke.

"…Eternal banishment…!"

Her voice sounded strained and nearly cracked at the end of her sentence. Kage's eyes were wide with shock, and Selphie could tell that he'd been fearing worse. The ground beneath Kage's feet began to glow, and Selphie rushed over to him, grabbing his arm.

"Kage…!!!!"

Kage grimaced, pulling hard at the chains binding his arm. They shattered, and he was able to push Selphie away, and the young girl overbalanced herself and fell hard on her backside. The chains then reappeared on Kage's arms, and in a brilliant flash of light, he was gone.

Selphie stared wide-eyed at the spot where Kage had been standing before he had vanished. "…No… No… That's just not fair…!"

"…No… it's not fair…"

Selphie turned her attention to Shiori, whose head was bowed so that her hair hid her face. The woman's voice had cracked when she spoke those words, but Selphie didn't care. What the hell was this woman's problem?!

"Why the hell would you care?!" Selphie snapped at her, "You're the one who banished him! It's your fault!"

"…It's… not…" Shiori replied, lifting her head, "…You wouldn't understand…" Selphie was shocked to see tears streaming down Shiori's cheeks, a pained look visible on the woman's face. That only made Selphie angrier. _Now_ she showed compassion?! _After _she'd banished Kage?!?! Selphie clenched her fists angrily, her body visibly shaking as she glowered at the woman. Then, her nerves finally reached their breaking point.

She turned and ran. The barrier was down, so she ran. She didn't know where she was going, and she really didn't care. All she knew was that she wanted to get away.

And she wasn't looking back.

'

Shortly after, Selphie found herself at Death Mountain, over where the lone bomb flower grew near the entrance to Goron City. She sat at the very edge of the cliff, her legs dangling between the wooden fence posts. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy, and her cheeks were stained with dried tears. She was silent as the dead, her arms wrapped around the posts as she sat there, staring off blankly at the horizon.

The Goron that usually tended to the Bomb Flower had gone to fetch Darunia when Selphie arrived, already in tears when she showed up. Now she was calm, and Darunia now exited Goron City, making his way over to her.

He placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "…Mind telling me what's wrong, Selphie?" he asked softly.

"…Kage's gone…" Selphie replied, her voice choking slightly on the words, "…He was banished…"

"Banished?!" Darunia's eyes widened slightly, "What happened?!"

Selphie sighed softly, swallowing hard before speaking. She played the events in her mind, describing what had happened, from finding Kage in the fields to the appearance of Shiori, to hearing that they were betrothed, to the many crimes that Kage had allegedly committed, to his banishment, to Selphie finally turning and running. Darunia listened patiently, and was silent even when she finished speaking. He studied her for a moment before he opened his mouth to talk.

"…I take it there's more to the story?" he said softly, "…I don't think you'd normally be this upset…"

"…That's because late last night, Kage and I got to talking… and he admitted having feelings for me… and I decided to give him a chance… I'm attached to him, Daru… more so than I thought at first…" Selphie replied slowly, hesitantly.

"…Hearing that Kage was betrothed to this woman probably didn't help…" Darunia commented.

"No, it didn't…" Selphie said bitterly, "…But Kage said that it was called off long ago… He said that he'd tell me later if he got the chance… but…" She fell silent. She stared off at the sunrise. "…When I first met Kage… before the incident at Kakariko, back when he still looked like a kid… I found myself being drawn to him… I thought it was because he reminded me of my younger brother… This whole time… I thought that I still had those sororal feelings, that those feelings where why I felt so strongly about him." She fell silent for a moment.

"…So you were drawn to Kage thinking of him as a surrogate brother?"

"…Yeah… but that doesn't necessarily mean I wouldn't have cared for him otherwise... Feelings can change... grow... friendly affection can become a blossom of passion..." She remained silent another moment. "And now it's time for me to prove that passion!" She stood and turned to face Darunia, with a smile on her tearstained face. "Y'know, I miss my little brother a lot..." she stepped up and wrapped her arms around him. "But I like having a Big Brother too..."

Darunia put one arm around her. "I kinda like having a little sister too."

She held him back and smiled up at him. "That's good... because I like having a boyfriend too, and I'm gonna need all the help I can get!" She started pulling him along with her down the mountain. She may have gotten one ally, but there was still more help to be had.

There was only one person she could think of that would know how to get into the Sacred Realm.

They heard a cucco from the bottom of the mountain.

Hopefully that person wasn't getting drunk off of Chateau Romani again.

'

Author's Notes: Merry Christmas! o.o More to come soon! And yes, more will be revealed about Shiori! And no, Kage's not a womanizer! o.o How dare you think such things! ... back to my hyperness. -bounces off walls-


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Sixteen**

It was just after sunset when there was a knock at the door. Yugi made her way downstairs, moving slowly to the door. She pulled it open slowly to find Darunia and Selphie standing in the doorway. She noticed the looks on their faces and stepped aside silently to let them in. Selphie went straight to the nearest chair, flopping down into it, and Darunia stood beside her.

"…What's wrong?" Yugi asked, closing the door, "You and Kage didn't show up for lunch… what happened?"

Selphie looked up at her, opening her mouth to speak. She faltered, uncertain of what to say to the former Goddess. She closed her mouth and shook her head silently, letting it hang once more, hoping to hide her pained expression.

Link came down the stairs, looking half asleep. "Wha's goin' on?" he asked tiredly. He let out a yawn, then moved behind Yugi, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her body close to his as he rested his head on her shoulder. "Pillow."

She sighed, running her fingers through his hair. She looked to Selphie, frowning slightly. "…Where's Kage?"

"…He's gone… He was banished to the Sacred Realm…" Selphie said softly, apparently fighting back tears. Yugi studied her silently, but said nothing. Darunia frowned slightly at Yugi's lack of any reaction to the information. Her own brother had been banished. Didn't she care? Even he, Darunia, who disliked the Shadow God, felt that Kage didn't deserve to be banished.

"…Then everything should be fine…" Yugi said softly, as though to convince herself, "…we just go in and get him… that's all…"

"Yugi…?" Link asked, lifting his head to look at her. She placed her hands on Link's holding them tightly in her own. She was scared of something, and Link had a basic idea of what it was.

"…What do you mean everything should be fine?" Selphie asked, somewhat bitterly.

"…Kage's crimes would have earned him execution, not banishment…" Yugi said, a little louder so that everyone could actually hear her, "…He was lucky to only be banished…"

"…He was to be executed…"

Everyone jumped at the voice, turning to face its source. Against the wall stood a woman clothed in black robes, her shoulder-length hair in interesting blend of black and silver.

Shiori.

Selphie leapt to her feet. "YOU?!"

"…Shiori?" Yugi asked, looking mildly surprised by the woman's sudden appearance.

"You know her?" Link asked, by now wide awake.

"She's a Goddess of Judgment," Yugi replied softly so only he could hear, "She is responsible for the punishment of Gods and Goddesses who have broken the Divine Laws."

"…So she's the one who banished you?" he asked.

"…Yes…" Yugi replied hesitantly. In an instant, Link was in front of Shiori, and he grabbed her roughly by the collar of her robes. Yugi gave Darunia a pleading look as she ran over, grabbing Link by his shoulders in an attempt to pull him away. As she had assumed, he refused to budge, and it took Darunia's firm grasp of his wrist (nearly shattering the bone, one might painfully add), to get him to release the Goddess.

"Calm down," Yugi said softly, holding Link close.

"Calm down?!" Link hissed, "It's because of her that you were sent to the Sacred Realm!"

"No, it was because _I_ broke the law to save _you_. Besides…" she looked over at Shiori, "…I don't think Kage would be too happy with his childhood friend having been hurt more than she already is." She pointed to Shiori's shoulder, which, they now noticed, was covered in blood.

"…How did that happen?" Selphie asked.

"…Punishment for altering Seiryu's sentence…" Shiori said softly, her hand moving to her shoulder, clutching the wound, "…As I said, he was to be executed… but I banished him instead…"

"Hold on," Darunia said, holding up his hands to form a 'T', "You lost me at 'childhood friend', and what's this about you and Kage having been betrothed?"

"…Seiryu and I have been friends since we were young," Shiori said softly, "As for us being affianced, it was a decision made by the idiots in the High Council. They decided that any and all demons were to be married off with one another, to control the demonic bloodlines. Being the only known demons, Seiryu and I were paired up."

"You're a demon?" Selphie asked.

Shiori nodded. To further demonstrate her point, she brushed her hair away from her face, pushing the scarf up to expose her left eye. The iris was a piercing silver color, the mark of the demon. She pulled the scarf back down again. "…As you may have known, demons are not well liked in the divine realm, and half-demons are despised even more. Even though there are four of us, none of us can hide it. If you're a half-demon, everyone knows it, and no one lets you live it down."

"…If you, Yugi and Kage are three of four, then who is the other demon?" Link asked.

"Yugi is not a demon because she was born from two Gods," Shiori said, "Even if she was once part of Seiryu, his demonic traits were not passed on to her. The other two demons were Shinigami, the father of Seiryu, and his brother Akuma. Akuma was sealed away shortly after Shinigami's execution. He was sealed inside an item, a mask of a sort, and the mask was hidden away, and eventually forgotten. It has the power to bestow demonic powers to its weilder. It was said to have been found, but no one has located it."

Link listened carefully, uneasily shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Yugi listened in silence, and finally changed the subject. "…At any rate, we need to go rescue Kage from the Sacred Realm…" she said meekly.

"How can you save him without him being executed?" Shiori asked.

"He gave up his immortality for Selphie," Yugi replied, "He is exempt from punishment."

"…That would explain where these came from." Shiori held up her hands, revealing chains attached to her wrists. "…How do you plan on getting in there? After the previous incident, I would think that you would fear returning there…"

"…I am afraid to face him again… but if I must, I must. I won't abandon my brother."

"…So be it then…" Shiori said. She frowned slightly, her gaze becoming unfocused. "…Death… I see death…" Her voice was hollow, and it sounded as though three people spoke at once.

"…What's she going on about now?" Darunia asked.

"Shiori has the gift of precognition," Yugi said, "She can see the future. She has yet to be proven wrong."

"…Two will die… a mortal man… and a God… one shall die to redeem his honor… the other to release another from the one thing tied to his fate… And upon returning, three shall fall through time… and one of the three shall make the biggest decision of their life." Shiori's eyes focused again, and she shook her head slightly. "…I apologize… That came without warning…" She looked to Selphie. "…I'm sorry." And with that, she vanished.

"…Okay… that was too weird…" Darunia said softly.

"Shiori is someone that takes a while to get used to," Yugi replied, "It took Kage a year to get used to her." She frowned slightly, remembering her brother. "…I will open the gate to the Sacred Realm… but I will not go farther… I will stay at the gate to make sure nothing passes through it…"

"Nuh-uh," Link said, shaking his head, "I'm not letting you be alone in that place. You will stay with us so we can protect you."

Yugi did not reply. Link, meanwhile, darted up the stairs, and they could hear him rummaging through stuff. He soon returned with his sword strapped to his back, his ocarina in hand. There was a strange lump in his tunic, but he quickly readjusted it so it was less noticeable. "Okay, who's up to warping to the Temple of Time?" he asked. He moved over to Yugi, who gently placed one hand on his arm. Selphie and Darunia quickly moved forward, Selphie grabbing onto Yugi while Darunia placed his hand on Link's shoulder. Link then took a deep breath, putting the ocarina to his lips and playing the Prelude of Light. Golden fairy lights swirled around them, and the four vanished in a burst of light.

'

Kage sat on the ground in the center of an open plain, staring blankly at the chains binding him. Not only were there shackles on his ankles and wrists, but there was one around his neck, and there were chains draped across his chest, his waist and his legs. The length of the chains gave him enough room to sit up, but that was it. He was stuck here for all eternity. He could only hope that Ganon didn't find him soon. It would happen eventually, but he still hoped that it wouldn't happen for at least a few hours.

But luck, as it would seem, was never in Kage's favor.

He heard voices, speaking in low tones. He lifted his gaze, but saw no one. Perhaps he was imagining it? No. He knew that voice… he'd heard it not too long ago.

"…They should be arriving soon… Be ready for them."

"Certainly. I am grateful you have given me a second chance."

There was an interesting noise, a mix between a grunt and a laugh. "Just remember what I told you. Bring the girl to me, kill the others."

"Describe her, in case another comes."

"What would it matter if another came? I could use her as well. At any rate, this girl has long blonde hair, looks rather frail… and don't mistake the Hero of Time for her. He looks enough like a woman he could probably pass off as her if she cut her hair short enough."

"I won't mistake them. I can remember him, the Hero of Time… the memory is too painful to forget."

"Good. Now there's the matter of this one."

"He looks rather weak."

"He is a God. Do not underestimate his power."

Kage swallowed hard, pulling at the chains. He had been found, all right. They'd been there the whole time. Suddenly, Ganondorf appeared in front of him. Kage grimacing, reflexively trying to back away, but the chains held him in place. Ganondorf only sneered, grabbing him by his hair, holding him in place. Kage grunted, this time having to lean towards Ganondorf to minimize the pain of having his hair pulled. He felt the tip of a blade poking into his back, causing him to tense in reaction.

"Why don't we just kill him now?"

"Because can be of great use to me," Ganondorf replied, "The girl is his sibling, so she would know if he died. Also, he can serve me well. All men can break. Even a weak, powerless God such as this. After all, his sister broke and submitted to me. I remember it well."

Anger flared up inside of Kage, and he pulled at his chains, wanting nothing less than to just leap out at Ganondorf and tear his throat out. The chains failed to yield. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes, channeling dark energy through his arm, letting it course through Kage. Despite his being a Shadow God, the dark energy was so tainted by Ganondorf that it brought Kage excruciating pain, pain that Kage hadn't felt in centuries. "Knock him out. We can't let the others know."

"Gladly."

Through the pain, Kage barely felt his second assailant strike him on the head. His vision started to fade, blurring to the point where all he saw was just a mass of colors and shapes. Ganondorf's laughter rang in his ears, further adding to his agony. Then, finally, after what felt like ages, the pain was gone, and he slipped into a peaceful, dreamless darkness.

'

Author's Notes: Oooo. Scheming. o.o such fun... I wonder if anyone knows what's going on? Selphie does... but not you! o.o nyah.


	18. Chapter Seveteen

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Seventeen**

Yugi, Link, Selphie and Darunia stood by the gate in silence. Selphie and Darunia looked around in shock. So this was the Sacred Realm? It seemed so… dark… vile… the sanctity of this place had been fouled, defiled by Ganon's evil. However, Selphie quickly got over her shock. They had come to rescue Kage. That was their main priority.

Yugi fidgeted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she wrung her hands uneasily. "…This is as far as I go… I have to guard the gate… I don't want to go any further…"

"Yugi, you're coming with us," Link said softly, brushing her hair away from her face.

"No. Link, I have to stay here to make sure nothing gets through the gate…" Yugi started.

"Then close the damned thing and open it later," Link said, "If we leave you behind, who's to say Ganondorf won't find you and…" He trailed off, but grabbed her hand. "Yugi, you're coming with us, even if I have to carry you over my shoulder like a sack of cucco feed. If you come with us, we can at least protect you."

Yugi was silent for a moment, but bowed her head slightly. "…Alright…" She raised one hand slightly, and the gate closed. She squeezed Link's hand lightly, giving him an anguished look. "Promise me that nothing will happen… promise me…"

Link pulled her into a fierce embrace. "I promise. I swear upon my life I won't let him hurt you."

Selphie had already started venturing forward, followed closely by Darunia. Selphie's eyes scanned the horizon of the vast plain, hoping to glimpse the Shadow God. It was just an open plain. He shouldn't be that hard to spot, right? After all, there was nothing out there that could conceal the rather tall, raven-haired Shadow God. He would be easy to find.

"What are we going to do if we _do_ end up confronting Ganondorf?" Darunia asked softly, following Selphie closely.

"We'll figure that out when it happens," Selphie replied, "For now, let's just focus on finding-"

She was cut short by her foot catching on something, causing her to stumble, and finally fall. She landed hard on her stomach, giving a loud "Oof!" as she landed. She groaned, sitting up and turning to see what she'd tripped over.

"Kage?!"

Her eyes widened and she leaned over him, examining his limp form. He was lying on his back, his body completely covered in chains, shackles clasped around his neck, wrists, and ankles. His eyes were closed, his breathing so slight that at first she'd feared he was dead. He seemed unhurt… well, if you don't count the whole 'unconscious and not responding to anything' issue.

"Kage… Kage, wake up…" she said softly, grabbing his shoulders and shaking them gently, "Kage…" She grabbed at his chains and pulled as hard as she could. "Off!"

"Allow me." Darunia took several of the chains in his rocky grip, crushing them in his hands. Selphie then quickly brushed the chains off of Kage, lifting him into a sitting position. Kage coughed once, letting out a slight groan, but otherwise did not stir.

"Hey, you found him!" Link called as he and Yugi drew nearer, "How is he?"

"He seems okay. He's been knocked out, though," Darunia replied.

"He won't wake up!" Selphie added.

"…Then we need to get out of here!" Yugi said, clinging tightly to Link, "The only person here that could knock him out is Ganon, and if he found Kage--"

"…Then he knows we're here!" Link exclaimed, his eyes widening. He turned to Yugi. "Open the gate so we can get out of here before he shows up."

Yugi nodded slightly and released him, extending her arms and starting to chant. However, her chanting was cut short, changing to a piercing shriek as she felt something sharp rake across her back. She fell forward, but Link caught her, abruptly turning to confront Yugi's attacker. Ganon stood maybe nine feet away, smirking evilly, holding a large sword in one hand. Link grimaced, but turned his attention back to Yugi, who was clinging to him rather fiercely. He examined the wound in her back, which was starting to bleed, but not too heavily. She was in no immediate danger, yet.

He set her down on the ground. "Stay here, don't move. If things start to look like Ganondorf is going to win, just open the gate and get out of here, and close it once you're all out."

"No!" Yugi cried, grabbing his arm.

"I'd rather be stuck here for all eternity with him than let him hurt you again," Link said.

"Link…"

Link ignored her but stood, drawing his sword as he turned to face Ganondorf.

"It's been a while, boy," Ganondorf said with a smirk, "How kind of you to bring her back here."

"Shut. Up." Link was in front of Ganondorf in an instant, and in a shower of sparks their blades clashed. "You will not touch her again."

"Brave words," Ganondorf laughed, "That's all you ever have. Words. Tell me." He glanced at Yugi. "Who will protect your fair maiden when you fall?"

Yugi cringed under his gaze, and Link drove his shield into Ganondorf's stomach, knocking him back a few inches. "Don't look at her. Don't touch her. Don't even think about her." He glared at Ganondorf. "I won't lose. I will never lose to someone like you."

"You will lose," Ganondorf said with a short laugh, "You will fail. And she will become _mine_."

Link growled, feeling something pulse against his chest. He stopped, his eyes widening slightly with sudden realization. Ganondorf decided to take advantage of his brief pause, thrusting his sword at Link's chest. Link jumped into the air, landing on the blade with grace.

"You'll need to do better than that to beat a God."

Ganondorf raised one eyebrow in slight confusion. Link only smirked at him, withdrawing a mask from his tunic. He put it to his face, and a blinding flash of light was emitted from the mask, forcing all present, save for Ganondorf, to shield their eyes. Once the light faded, Link no longer stood before them. In his stead was a man garbed in a white tunic, black armor, a black shirt and leggings, and he wielded a large, double-helix sword. He looked just like Link, save for a few features, such as his silver-white hair and silver eyes, and his extra few inches in height.

"Who the heck-?!" Darunia started.

"That's the Fierce Deity of Termina!" Selphie gasped.

"Akuma?!" Yugi's eyes widened when she saw him. The man standing in Link's place merely smirked.

'_My name… I haven't heard it in the longest time…_'

He raised his sword to Ganondorf's throat. Ganondorf smirked as well. "Certainly the great Hero does not intend to kill his enemy by dishonorable means?"

"Of course not," his white-haired opponent replied, hopping off the sword, "However, I know that you are a dishonorable man, so such means would not be disgraceful when used on you. Also, know that I am not the 'Hero' you refer to."

"So Link intends to let you fight his battle for him?"

"I didn't give him much choice. He can't beat you as he is, but _I_ can." He held his sword in a defensive position, to shield himself. "Besides, I have every right to protect my kin." He tilted his head slightly. "I will not lose to a vile creature of shadow like you."

"You will regret those words."

Ganondorf leapt forward, and Akuma raised his sword slightly, blocking Ganondorf's attack. Ganondorf withdrew his sword, unleashing a barrage of attacks on Akuma, who blocked them all. Ganondorf thrust his sword at Akuma's middle a second time, and the silver-eyed God merely jumped to avoid the attack, landing on the blade once more. He then raised his sword, hoping to separate Ganon's head from his shoulders. However, the Evil King lifted his sword (with Akuma still on it), nearly causing him to fall. Akuma caught himself before he could fall, and he jumped over Ganondorf, landing some few feet behind him. He stood, turning to face Ganondorf, who had turned to face him as well.

"You want me to regret my words? Fine," he hissed, "Make me regret them." He leapt back, holding his sword to the side, leaving himself vulnerable. "If you refuse to lose, then come at me! Come and take my life, or are you too much of a coward to strike a _man_?" He taunted.

Ganondorf did not reply but charged at Link with a yell, sword raised to attack. He was fast, too fast even for Akuma, who realized that he would not survive the attack. However, the God was determined to not go down without a fight. He raised his sword just as Ganondorf neared him.

Both swords impaled their targets at exactly the same time. Akuma's face contorted into a grimace of pain and rage, as did Ganondorf's. Akuma watched as Ganondorf fell, nearly collapsing as well as Ganondorf's hand, still clutching the sword, twisting the blade in the wound. Akuma lifted his head slightly, looking past Yugi, Selphie and Darunia, his gaze locked on Kage's limp form. He mouthed two words: "I'm sorry." And with that, he fell.

"No…" Selphie breathed as she watched Link fall, holding Kage tightly in her arms, "No…" She looked to Yugi, who sat there in silence. Because Yugi's back was to her, Selphie could not see the expression on her face. She looked up at Darunia, hoping he would be able to stop Yugi, should she do anything foolish or idiotic such as to follow Link in his fate. However, Darunia stood rigid, his face surprisingly pale, if that were possible for a Goron. He had just watched his Brother fall. He was likely to take it hard as well as anyone else.

Yugi, surprisingly, was calm. Her eyes held no pain, no tears. She rose slowly to her feet, slowly walking over to where Link lay. She knelt down beside him, pulling the sword from his chest before laying his head in her lap. She stared at his face… no… Akuma's face. That was not Link she saw before her, but Akuma. Akuma, brother to Shinigami, sealed away in a mask because of his brother's many crimes… he had given his life to protect them all. But because he had acted through Link… didn't that mean that Link was dead as well?

She placed her hands on the sides of his face, feeling for the edges of the mask. Finding them, she slowly lifted the mask away, revealing Link's face underneath. She stared at him for a moment, stroking his hair gently. She let her gaze fall to the wound when a slight glimmer caught her eye. Hanging around Link's neck was the amulet, Chronos' Crescent. She studied it carefully for a moment before taking it in her hand, pulling the amulet from around Link's neck. If he truly was dead, there would be no need for it anymore.

She stopped, as though it was finally starting to sink in. Link was dead. And there was nothing she could do to change it. She suddenly held him fiercely close, tears welling up in her eyes. It was as if she was afraid to let go, afraid to let go of him, to let go of his memory. Several long moments passed, and each one felt like ages. No one spoke, and no one moved for the longest time. However, the silence was eventually broken by the sound of coughing. Selphie and Darunia exchanged glances, then looked to Kage. Finally, their gaze fell on Yugi, and realized that Link's still form wasn't so still anymore.

Link was alive.

Darunia started forwards to his brother's side, but seeing Selphie still holding Kage, he picked up the Shadow God and carried him over, Selphie following close behind. They rushed over to Yugi's side, staring at Link incredulously. "I thought I'd lost you again!" Darunia exclaimed, "I thought you were dead!" Link's eyes widened and he sat up, his hands flying to the wound in his chest. There was no wound, even though his forest green tunic was torn and saturated with blood. He looked at Yugi, who smiled at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Link held her close.

"…What happened…?"

"…Akuma gave his live for you…" Yugi whispered, "To release you from being bound to the amulet." Link's hand flew to his throat, a look of shock crossing his face when he found that yes, the amulet was missing, clutched tightly in Yugi's hand. "…You're free."

Link stared at her, and then smiled, holding her close. Maybe a moment went by in silence before it was broken by a soft groan. Kage stirred in Darunia's arms, his face contorting into a pained grimace as he struggled to supposedly sit up, but only sank back against the Goron's arm. "That bastard Ganondorf..." he groaned one hand going to his head, "I'm gonna kill 'im…"

"I hate to break it to you, kid, but Link beat you to the punch," Darunia said with a half smile.

Kage jumped when he heard Darunia's voice, his eyes opening, widening when he saw them. Darunia set him down, helping to keep him steady with one hand. "What are you guys doing here…?!" Kage demanded. He stopped, shook his head. "Look, just get out of here, before Ganondorf shows up."

"He's already dead," Selphie said.

"No, he's not!" Kage replied, a note of fear rising in his voice, "He set a trap for you! He's resurrected his phantom and _that's_ who you killed!"

"_FOOLS!_"

They jumped, turning towards the voice. Ganondorf stood over them, Master Sword held in his hand, blood spilling all over his blackened armor from the wound in his chest. What was most disturbing, at least to Yugi, who cried out and clung to Link, burying her face in his shoulder, was that his face had seemed to burn away, exposing a skull mask with glowing red-amber eyes.

"_You fell for the trap…_" he hissed, taking in a raspy breath, "_You fools thought I was the real thing… I was given the chance to prove myself worthy… And I did… Now, I can die, and not exist in the gap between dimensions for all eternity… You will fall before the Great King… You will perish!_"

He burst out into maniacal laughter, his body slowly burning away into nothingness, the Master Sword falling to the ground. Kage grimaced. "This is bad…"

"Um… I can understand this being bad, but how exactly?" Darunia asked.

"Bad because the real Ganondorf is nearby!" Link yelled, leaping to his feet. He looked to Yugi, who opened the gate immediately. The first through the gate were Selphie and Kage, followed by Darunia and Link. In the Temple of Time, Link stood beyond the gate, waiting for Yugi to jump through. "Come on…!" he whispered, holding his arms out as though to catch her. Yugi was about to jump through when she saw the Master Sword laying on the ground. She stood frozen for a moment, torn between her options. The smell of blood and smoke was beginning to intensify, harkening the presence of the Evil King. Finally, without giving it a second thought, she rushed forward and grabbed the sword, immediately backing up towards the gate. Then, she turned, leaping through, immediately closing it behind her. Link caught her in his arms, holding her close as the two sank to their knees, taking a moment to calm down. Then, they went over and joined their other friends, sitting at the edge of the dais.

Link then took hold of Yugi's shoulder, turning her to face him. "Now," he pointed to the hole in his shirt, where his wound should have been, "Explain."

Yugi smiled weakly and shook her head. "Later. I promise." Link stared at her a minute, then shrugged, resting his head in her lap. She gently stroked his hair, brushing it away from his face and tucking it behind his ear.

Meanwhile, Selphie had her arms wrapped tightly around Kage, her face buried in his shoulder as she clung to him. Kage smiled at her, caressing her cheek gently as he held her close. Darunia studied them for a moment, unsure of whether or not he approved of Selphie's choice in partners. But due to the stress they'd all been through, he decided to let it go.

"How come you came for me?" Kage asked softly.

"I wasn't going to just leave you," Selphie said, "None of us were."

"…" Kage smiled, apparently at a loss for words. No one had showed him such kindness before, save for the Sheikah. He had expected them to forget him. He actually wanted them to. He didn't want to put them in any further danger in rescuing him. Link nearly dying again was enough proof of the danger they'd been in.

Yugi tensed slightly, sitting up straight, her eyes widening slightly. "Yugi? What's up?" Link asked, looking up at her. Yugi opened her mouth to respond but before she could make a sound a hole appeared in the air behind her, and she was drawn into it with a loud shout. Link caught himself before he could fall, staring wide-eyed at the portal. "Nuh-uh! I'm not losing you again!" He dove into the portal after her.

"No! It wasn't supposed to take them too!" Selphie pulled away from Kage, running forward to the portal. She stopped short, hearing her name. The voice was Kage's, and from his tone of voice, she knew he was afraid. Afraid… of what? She clenched her fists slightly, staring at the portal. "…I'm sorry. Goodbye." Then, she jumped through, and the portal closed behind her.

Kage stared wide-eyed at the spot where Selphie had stood, slowly sinking to his knees, falling forward onto the steps, his fists clenched, head bowed, and his face hidden from view by that unkempt mass of raven hair. "No… no… it's not fair… they were the only ones… the only ones…"

"Kage…" Darunia stepped forward, placing one hand on the former Shadow God's shoulder. Kage pulled away, shrinking from the Goron's touch.

"Just go the hell away. You couldn't understand how I feel. Just leave."

Kage spoke no more to the Goron, absolutely refusing to move any more. He was so still it was almost as though he were made of the very marble that the dais was made of. He was in pain, far greater pain than he ever knew in his life. There was an empty void inside. He'd lost Selphie, he'd lost Yugi… he'd lost everything.

He heard Darunia leave the temple in silence. It was then and only then that Kage finally let his tears fall.

"…It's… just… not… fair…"

* * *

Author's notes: After a long while of trying to figure out an ending, I bring you another chapter of CotG. Many thanks to my faithful reviewers, Reaka and Selphie Louise, who have stuck with me from the very very beginning. I appreciate it, and hope that you will stay even longer. And many thanks to Selphie Louise for advertising my story. As repayment I shall advertise hers.  
**Read The Legend of Zelda: Tome of Lineage by Selphie Louise!!!! The hyper authoress commands it! O.O  
**And with that I bring this to a conclusion. The next chapter (or two) (or three) will be up sometime tomorrow. They were prewritten by Selphie, who has decided to help me with such a difficult part of the story (difficult only because I am unfamililar with the setting.) You will see. You will see.  
... No spoilers, Selphie! -ties her to chair and gags her- ... -runs off-**  
**


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Eighteen**

_He staggered blindly through the darkness, his dead gaze locked on the path ahead of him. Night had fallen, and he made his way straight to the Shadow Temple, the only place that he could remember. His mind was closed to the world. He was hardly anything more than a ghost or an empty shell, emaciated, pale, malnourished… he couldn't see, couldn't hear… all he could do was feel. He could only feel the call of the Shadow Temple, and he responded, following it until he finally found himself standing in those darkened halls, in the chamber with the stone bird and the illusionary torches. He could faintly hear the shadows laughing at him, taunting him, calling him names. He ignored them. He had no reason to acknowledge them now._

'…_Death shall be my reward…for being such a fool…'_

_He slowly neared the edge of the cliff, feeling for the edge with his foot._

_'__Forget me…'_

_With that, he stepped over the edge, plunging into the darkness of the empty pit below…_

'

Maybe a week had passed since Link, Yugi and Selphie had gone through the time portal. It was rather boring, and lonely, without his Sworn Brother around… He'd been able to get by before, it wasn't like Link was an important part of his life. But because his Brother had vanished into a time portal and was stranded in who-knows-what-time and who-knows-what-place… he couldn't help but be worried for him.

"Brother?"

Darunia snapped out of his reverie, lifting his head to look at the Goron standing in the doorway. "What is it?"

"There's someone here to see you…"

"Who is it?" Darunia frowned slightly.

"Um… they said not to tell you who they were… they said it was a surprise…"

"Fine, then send them in," Darunia growled. He was not in the mood for guessing games.

The Goron nodded and left. Darunia sighed, lowering his head again. Maybe he should have done what he did eleven years ago and shut himself in his room and not let anyone in…

"Wow! He's bigger than the others!"

The voice was that of a very young girl, who sounded excited, although hyper might have been a more accurate term.

"Well, he is the leader, Mable. The Big Brother of the Gorons has to live up to his title."

That was a voice he thought he'd never hear again.

Darunia's eyes widened slightly as he lifted his head. Sure enough, it was Link that stood before him, with Yugi at his side. They seemed a little older, and Yugi had definitely undergone some changes, as the former Goddess had cut her hair and was now garbed in a dark blue-green tunic with sleeves that reached the middle of her forearms, white pants, and boots that seemed to be made of a lighter material than Link's. He would almost have never guessed it was them.

But, as if the shock of seeing the two of them standing there had been enough, there was yet another surprise for him. The surprise happened to be two four-year-olds, miniature versions of Link and Yugi, the former of which was in Yugi's arms, staring at Darunia with a timid look on his face, while the latter sat perched on Link's shoulders, the man's hat sitting on her head instead of his own. However, one feature he noticed about the twins were that their eyes were mismatched. Both twins had one blue eye, while the other was silver. Also, he noted, the twins' eyes were mirror images of each other. Meaning while Mable's silver eye was on the right, Raven was on the left.

The girl giggled, waving at him. "Hi hi! You must be Uncle Daru, right? Right?"

"Calm down, Mable," Link said with a soft laugh as he set the girl down. The girl looked like she was ready to run laps around the room, but Link kept his hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place. He smiled at Darunia. "Hey. It's been a while."

"It's only been a week…" Darunia said softly.

"It may have been a week for you, but it was five years for us," Yugi replied.

Darunia blinked in confusion.

"When we went through the time portal, we ended up in Ikana, in Selphie's time," Link explained, "We stayed there for five years, waiting for another time portal to show up. Finally, one appeared, and it brought us here."

"It was fun!" Mable chirped, grinning excitedly.

"…Now, you have two things to explain to me," Darunia said, staring at Link, "Those little carbon copies of yours."

"They were conceived not long after Link and I became a couple," Yugi said with a slight smirk, "I found out shortly before we moved into our home at Lake Hylia, although I withheld the information from Link until that day."

Link smirked slightly, shaking his head at Yugi's desire to overload Darunia's mind—which was still trying to recover from the shock of seeing him and Yugi as well as the twins—with information that should probably be kept between just the two of them. "This bundle of hyperactivity would be Mable," he said, patting the girl's head. Mable giggled, batting at her father's hand, squeaking when he took his hat away, which she promptly snatched back and put on her head. He then turned his head slightly to look at the boy in Yugi's arms, placing one hand on the boy's head. The boy shifted slightly, hiding his face in his mother's shoulder. "And this shy boy is Raven."

Darunia looked from Mable to Raven, the former of which—now free of her father's grasp—had toddled over to him, grinning up at him. "Are you Uncle Daru?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Darunia was hesitant, but he nodded, rising to his feet. Mable squealed in surprise. "Woooow! You're even bigger now!" Darunia grinned, and Link and Yugi laughed softly, and Darunia could almost swear that Raven had cracked a small smile. Darunia swept Mable up and placed her on his shoulder. The girl squealed and giggled like she was having the time of her life. "We saw lots of Gorons before we went through the hole," she said excitedly, "And big big big biiiiig lizard monsters that went FWOOSH and Daddy had to cut their tails off before they went BOOM!" She threw up her arms excitedly, and Darunia had to hold up one hand to keep her from falling. Mable paused thoughtfully. "Hmm… what were they called…? Do…dododo…"

"Dodongos," Link finished for her.

"Da-addy! I coulda got it myself," Mable said, crossing her arms over her chest as she pouted.

Darunia smiled, setting Mable down before looking back to Link and Yugi. "So… did Selphie stay in Ikana?"

"…She did," Link replied, his smile fading.

"…I see…" Darunia sighed, his smile fading as well, "That isn't going to go too well…"

"…with Kage?" Yugi asked.

Darunia nodded. "He stayed in the Temple of Time for days. Wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink. Even your sisters couldn't get him to say or do anything. Finally, maybe yesterday or the night before, he vanished without a trace. No one has seen or heard from him since."

"And no one has any idea where he went?" Link asked. Darunia replied with a simple shake of his head. Mable walked over to her mother, who knelt down to scoop the girl up with one arm.

"Mommy, when are we gonna get to meet Uncle Kage?" Mable asked, tilting her head slightly, her golden blond hair falling in her face.

"Soon," Yugi replied with a smile, brushing the girl's hair out of her face, "Some time this month."

"I take it you're not worried?" Darunia asked, raising one eyebrow curiously.

"Not at all," Yugi replied, "I know he's all right, and I know he's coming back. My aunt, Verthandi, who happens to be Goddess of Time in Termina, told me that even with Selphie gone, someone else will come into Kage's life, someone who's been around longer than Selphie who is in greater need of his presence."

"And that means?" Darunia asked.

"We'll just have to wait and see, Darunia. The Goddess wouldn't say anything more than that," Link sat, patting his brother on the arm. Link smiled at the Goron. "Well, we'd best be going. We have to go home, get these two fed. We just wanted to see you first, make sure you knew we were back in Hyrule."

"Bye, Uncle Daru!" Mable grinned, waving at him. Darunia smiled and waved back.

"Just make sure you come back to visit soon, all right?"

"We will," Yugi said with a smile. With that, Link pulled out his ocarina. The Serenade of Water was played, and in an instant the family was gone, leaving no trace of having been there.

'

Later, after the children had eaten, Yugi found herself in the kitchen, cleaning as she usually did when the family was done with their meal. She usually would be humming, even singing, always light on her feet as she tended to her work. However, at the moment she was moving rather slowly, lost in thought, her gaze vacant as she stared blankly at nothing.

"Yugi?"

She started, barely given the chance to turn her head before she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, holding her flush against the firm body she recognized as her husband's, as Link's. "…You startled me."

"I'm sorry. You were a little out of it, so I had to do something." Link smiled, pressing his cheek against hers. Yugi smiled and relaxed against him, closing her eyes. "Rupee for your thoughts?" Link asked, kissing her cheek gently.

"…I was remembering what Verthandi told me…" Yugi said hesitantly, "She did something where she stopped time, and she and I could converse alone. She told me more about who the person was, the one who will actually help Kage get over his depression." She fell silent for a moment. "…Because I am separate from Kage, his memories are faint now, so I can barely recall the event… but I'm almost afraid to find out how Kage will react..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

They were silent for a long time. Link was the one to break the silence. "Yugi, who is this person and how are they related to Kage?"

"…They are bound to him through an incident that was so terrible that Kage shut it out of his mind completely. He was hardly more than a child when it happened…" Yugi said softly, "I'm just worried that Kage will try to shut them out, to cast them away." She was silent for a moment before she turned to face Link, looking up at him, a concerned look on her face. "Link… We're talking about an illegi--"

"Mommy?"

Yugi cut off short and turned her head to see Mable and Raven standing in the doorway. Immediately she smiled, trying to make sure they didn't think anything was wrong. "Hey there," she said, walking over to them, kneeling down, "Ready for bed yet?"

Raven nodded, as did Mable, though the latter did so half-heartedly. She was the energetic one who'd rather spend all night running laps around the house. However, she always listened to her brother, who was the more sensible of the two, although he was usually too shy to talk to anyone with the exception of his parents and sister. Raven held his arms up, wanting to be held. Yugi smiled and complied to the boy's silent wish, picking him up and holding him close. She looked to Mable, who shook her head, wanting to walk on her own like a big girl. Yugi looked over at Link, giving him a small smile.

"We'll talk later, all right?"

Link nodded, watching as his family vanished around the corner. He leaned against the counter, deep in thought. Something that happened to Kage when he was still a child… something so terrible, at least to Kage, that he shut it out of his mind completely… Link pondered it for what felt like a long time before finally coming to a conclusion. Slowly, he straightened and left the kitchen, walking slowly down the hall to the stairs. He ascended the stairs and went to the far end of the hallway to the twin's room, where he found Yugi tucking the children into bed.

When the house was built, Link had asked the carpenters to make it like the Stock Pot Inn of Termina. Luckily, they were able to make an almost exact copy, with a few small changes (such as a door for the bathroom downstairs). As a result, just because the head carpenter wanted to, they even threw in the four sets of bunkbeds in the room at the end of the hallway, which made it easy to decide where the twins would sleep (Link and Yugi had taken the room near the stairs, leaving the room between vacant). Mable and Raven shared a bed for now, mainly because Raven was a bit clingy when it came to his sister, so he wanted to share the bed. Mable didn't complain. She wanted the top bunk anyway.

Mable spotted her father and sat up in bed, grinning excitedly as she held her hands out to him. Link smiled and laughed softly. Mable could never go to sleep without him saying goodnight to her. She was "Daddy's Little Butterfly," after all. Yugi smiled at him and stepped away from the bed to give him room. First, seeing as how Mable was the impatient one, Link stepped onto the bottom rung of the ladder attached to the bed, his arms wrapping themselves around the small, golden-haired child. He planted a kiss on her forehead and patted her back, laying her down and pulling the blankets over her. "Bedtime now, all right?" Mable nodded and immediately closed her eyes, turning onto her other side. Link studied her for a moment before stepping down and sitting down on the edge of Raven's bed to hug the boy, just like he had Mable.

"…Daddy? When are we gonna see Uncle Kage?"

Link was silent for a moment before pulling away, giving the boy a gentle smile. "Soon. Very soon. Now, go to sleep." He gently laid the boy down, pulling the blankets up to Raven's chin.

Raven stared up at him with those mismatched eyes, studying his face carefully. "Promise?"

Link smiled and kissed the boy's forehead.

"Promise."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yay! About time I finished this! Because of a small falling out between me and Selphie Louise, Selphie, Iggy and Jiji will no longer appear in this story. However, luckily, I have a way to work around that, so the story shall go on. I had two more stories planned to occur after this. I don't intend to stop now!

By the way, if CotG seems blah at the moment, that's because this chapter was a bit... nyeh... to write. The next will hopefully be better. With a possible family reunion. Also, if CotG starts to seem random, that's because the story was written originally to intro the cast for later stories. The beginning was major improv on what had really happened, and now that Link and Yugi are back from Termina, I'm now writing for the sake of writing. It helps to keep my sanity. Besides, because of this, what faithful readers I have ((much love to Reaka! n.n)) will get to meet a character who was probably never going to show up. Yay for improv. n.n

The next chapter should be up soon, loves. It's already halfway done.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Nineteen**

"Oi, wake up, dumbass!"

Kage was rudely awakened by a hard kick to his side, which forced a grunt to escape him. He could feel the ground beneath him, the mud clinging to his stomach and chest, to his kimono, to his face and hair. He could feel a slight stinging sensation in his right cheek, likely from getting mud and grime in the large scrape he had received some time ago. He slowly sat up, wiping the mud from the wound, lifting his head slightly to see who had spoken. Much to his surprise, and dismay, he found a Shadow standing over him. It was not that hard to see that the Shadow was young, for a Shadow anyway. It hardly looked any older than him. However the big shock was that, despite the look of defiance in the Shadow's eyes, he did not seem to have any intention of harming Kage.

"…What do you want?" Kage asked weakly, still fatigued from having not eaten in several days.

"What kind of question is that?" the Shadow sneered, "We saved your sorry ass, and all you can say is that?"

"As if any of you would have anything to do with me," Kage growled, "You despise me for something I had no control over. You hate me for being a demon. Why the hell would you show me any compassion?"

"Hey, watch it you--!"

"After the incident in Kakariko five hundred years ago, I hold nothing but contempt for the lot of you. You have done nothing to prove that I should trust any of you," Kage snarled, rising to his feet, brushing the dirt and mud off his clothes.

"Hey, _you_ were the one that killed them!" the Shadow snapped. Kage grabbed him by the throat, easily towering over him, those silver eyes of his flashing coldly.

"I have no control over my demon blood. If I am pushed too far, I snap, and anyone and everyone in my way joins the dead." He tightened his grip. "The only people to ever show me kindness were my creations, the Sheikah. But because, yet again, some idiot had to play 'hero' and attempt to kill the bastard son of Shingami, I was pushed too far. So many of the Sheikah died that day… and I do blame myself. But I also hold the lot of you at fault because you are just like the rest of those bigoted idiots in the divine realm. Until you prove to me that there is reason to trust you, I will not hesitate to kill any one of you on sight should you cross me._ Am I understood!_"

He had lost the woman he loved, he had starved for a week, and in his one attempt to just vanish out of existence, he ended up failing and was now being looked down upon by a Shadow. Add that all up and what do you get? One pissed-off God. And it was apparent by the tone of his voice and the death-glare he was giving the young Shadow that he would act upon his threat if he was annoyed any further. If the Shadow were an actual living organism with the need to eat, drink and breathe, the youth probably would have soiled himself.

"Y-yes… sir…" That last bit was added grudgingly, and Kage's grip immediately loosened. The Shadow rubbed his neck, glaring at Kage for a moment before gesturing for him to follow, leading him further into the darkness. Luckily Kage's eyes were beginning to adjust, so he was able to see where he was going. "Anyway, we did save your life. At least be thankful for that. And most likely yes, we would have let you die, but your brother came looking for you, and he refused to accept the face that you wanted to just die. He threatened to kill everyone and everything in the temple if you didn't show up soon."

'_Sounds like Volvagia,_' Kage thought to himself, sighing inwardly as he fought the urge to roll his eyes, '_Why would he care, anyway? He never did before._'

"He's been waiting for you," the Shadow continued, "It took a while to wake you, so he might not be too happy about the wait." Kage was able to see much more clearly now. He could see the light of the torches reflecting off the walls. Obviously they were nearing the chamber with the bird statue.

The Shadow stopped to look at Kage, keeping his head low. Obviously he feared the Shadow God's ire, despite his earlier defiance. "He should be waiting just outside. I will go no further." Without another word, the Shadow headed back the way they'd come, vanishing into the darkness of the temple. Kage stared after him blankly before continuing onward, entering the chamber of the bird-statue. He stared up at the torches, watching the flames dance for a moment before he continued towards the door.

'…_Why would Volvagia be so determined to see me? Why would any of them want to see me to the point that they would threaten to kill the Shadows within the temple…?_' He frowned slightly, lightly biting his tongue. '_Whatever it is, I believe I am in trouble for it._'

He moved slowly towards the entrance to the temple, slowing his pace as he neared the light. Having been in the temple for at least a few days, the light of day was almost blinding to him. He had to hold a hand up to shield his eyes as he continued forward. From the hue of the light that filtered into the entrance of the temple, it was nearing sundown. He could see the silhouette of his brother--though which brother it was, he couldn't tell--sitting hunched over on the pedestal in the center of the cavernous entryway. Kage hesitated before taking a few steps forward, feeling more and more uneasy with each passing moment. His sibling stood, and from the height, he could tell it was Koboku. That came as a shock to him as, out of all of his siblings, Koboku was the last one he could imagine threatening the lives of any person or thing. And as he'd guessed, from the look in Koboku's eyes, his older sibling was furious about something.

"You're coming with me," Koboku said in a low voice, grabbing for Kage's arm. Kage just pulled his arm back and stepped away from Koboku.

"It's good to see you too, Koboku," Kage muttered. He crossed his arms over his chest, staring coolly at his older brother. "Now, what did I do that has you so pissed off?"

"If you don't already know, you'll find out soon enough," Koboku said darkly, "You're coming with me."

"You could have asked nicely," Kage mumbled, "It's not like I have anything better to do." He faltered slightly before adding, "If I really wanted to piss you off, I could've just worn my father's haori…"

"Dammit, Seiryu, I've told you before not to mention him around me," Koboku growled lowly, grabbing Kage by his kimono, "After what he did, we've tried to forget him and to steer you away from becoming like him, yet you still follow his footsteps. If you keep this up, you will find yourself executed just like he was!"

"SHUT UP!" Kage snarled, "You know nothing about him, or me!"

"I know more than you'd think," Koboku hissed, releasing him, "We're going up Death Mountain to meet with the others in the Fire Temple. We will figure out what to do with you then."

"Whatever, Koboku," Kage muttered, pulling away from him, "I guess it doesn't matter to you that I'm stuck as a mortal for another century or so, and I've starved myself for at least a week."

"Those are results of your poor judgment, Seiryu, now deal with it," Koboku snapped, "Cut the drama and just shut up."

Kage made a rude gesture in response. Fortunately, Koboku had his back turned, and thus didn't see it. The two just stood at opposite ends of the cavern and waited until the sun had finally set. Then, Koboku grabbed Kage by his arm and started to lead him from the cave. Kage just sneered at him and pulled his arm away, but followed him calmly as he was led through the village towards the mountain path.

The trek up the mountain was a long one, so Kage took the time to think over what he could possibly have done that had him in trouble with not only Koboku, but the rest of his siblings as well. The last time he had seen Koboku, Jabun and Volvagia was the time in the forest, and that had been on relatively good terms. The last time he'd seen Din, Farore, and Nayru had been in the past week, when he had fallen into a depression over losing Selphie. As for Suna… well… she hated him. Plain and simple. She probably wouldn't even be with the others. She never was. Somehow, in the past week, since he'd thrown himself into that pit, he'd somehow pissed them off. What could he have done? Were they mad at him for trying to kill himself? Was it a misunderstanding?

He couldn't think of anything.

Kage staggered a few times as they made their way through the crater towards the Fire Temple. The heat was overwhelming, and it getting to be too much for him to bear. Luckily, despite being mad at his younger sibling, Koboku was still kind enough to help support him some of the way as they drew nearer to the temple. Luckily, the temple was considerably cooler, and Koboku was willing to rest a minute while Kage took a few moments to sit and catch his breath. Koboku watched Kage carefully for a moment. Because he was mortal, the heat of the volcano was affecting Kage considerably. His current state didn't help much either. They would definitely have to be careful towards him. Because he lacked the protection most gods had, they could accidentally kill him, and very easily at that.

"Hey, Koboku! Did you find him?"

Koboku turned his head slightly to see Volvagia standing at the top of the stairs, his arms crossed over his chest. He turned his gaze from Koboku to Kage and he scowled, glaring at his younger brother. Kage kept his head bowed, his hand pressed to his brow as he remained seated, gasping for breath. It was maybe at that point that Koboku realized the state their younger brother was in. Even though he'd been with him for over an hour, it was like he just noticed the blood, the dirt, and the sweat that stained that white kimono.

He grimaced slightly. What if they were jumping to conclusions again? The last time they had, Kage had been left to defend himself against the whole divine realm. He was a child at the time, but they still nearly executed him before Kage was proven innocent. Kage wouldn't even look at the rest of them for several long months after that. All because they had failed to trust him when he was innocent, just because they assumed he was following in his father's footsteps.

…Perhaps they should actually start trusting him…

Kage lifted his head slightly, looking tiredly up at Volvagia. Volvagia had a dangerous look in his eyes as he descended the stairs. At the same time, he could sense the arrivals of his other siblings—sans Suna, as he'd thought, but Nayru was missing as well—as they appeared in the room, and from the intense silence and the power he could sense radiating from them, they were just as angry as Volvagia. Kage grimaced. Geez, when the hell would they just stop with the distrust? They hated him for who his father was. For centuries, they'd insisted that wasn't what it was, but it was painfully obvious in their actions. Suna didn't bother to hide it. Why should they? It hurt more that they bothered to insult his intelligence by pretending they didn't hate him than just saying it outright.

"You have some explaining to do, _Seiryu_." The tone in Jabun's voice caused something to flare up inside Kage, especially with the way his given name had been spoken. He clenched his fists, but managed to keep himself under control.

"I don't have to explain anything to the lot of you. You could care less what goes on in my life," Kage said with a sneer, "So why don't you just leave me the hell alone?"

Jabun growled and grabbed Kage by his kimono, glaring dangerously at him. Kage roughly shoved him away, his silver eyes narrowing darkly. "Just stop with the damned games already and tell me what the hell I've done this time," Kage snarled, "Staying in the Shadow Temple is a hell of a lot better than being around the rest of you sometimes."

That certainly sparked a reaction. Din, Farore and Jabun all spoke up to protest, but Volvagia, always quick to act, leapt in and punched Kage as hard as he could right across the face. The force of the blow was enough to send him flying into the wall, which shattered upon impact, showering Kage with debris. A moment's silence reigned, and Kage managed to get to his feet, brushing off the dirt and rocks, wiping the blood away from his chin.

"Too bad, Volvagia, you didn't hit me hard enough. You could have killed me then."

"That's enough, Seiryu," Koboku said, appearing at Kage's side, one hand resting gently on his younger sibling's shoulder. Kage just glanced at his older brother's hand, but said nothing. What was the point? There was nothing more to say to them for the moment. Koboku, however, looked up at the others, taking control of the situation. "Jabun, go get Nayru, bring them in here."

"Koboku--"

"Do as I said!" Koboku snapped. Jabun swallowed hard and immediately complied, darting up the stairs and going into the next room.

Din, meanwhile, looked over at Koboku, one eyebrow raised. "So, Koboku, why the sudden change in attitude?"

"Yeah, as I recall, you were more pissed than the rest of us," Volvagia said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'll explain it later," Koboku replied, "But I'll say this: we should stop jumping to conclusions whenever something happens with Seiryu. After all, it almost cost him his life last time."

Everyone was dead silent, even Kage, who had his gaze fixed firmly on the floor. The sound of the door opening seemed to echo loudly throughout the chamber, as did the sound of footsteps. Kage slowly lifted his gaze, watching as Jabun and Nayru descended the stairs. With them was another, a young boy no older than maybe five years. His complexion was fairly pale, and his style of dress was unlike something Kage had seen before, as the boy was dressed in strange, dark blue robes. However, what caught Kage's interest was the boy's thick, shoulder-length silver hair, and his bright silver eyes.

A chill ran down Kage's spine as he watched the boy as the three drew nearer to him. Kage paled slightly, watching as the boy's eyes seemed to light up and he grinned when he saw Kage. Then came the biggest shock of all. The boy held his hand out to Kage, still grinning, and said one word in clear, perfect Draconic:

"Daddy!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh, the suspense! Will it ever end! ... Eventually. 

I like this chapter. n.n Yay for Aki! And for those that don't know, Draconic is the language of Dragons, so... yeah.

The next chapter's almost done! O-O Shouldn't be long! n.n


	21. Chapter Twenty

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Twenty**

"Daddy!"

Never before did Kage ever think that particular word would fill him with so much dread. He didn't know this kid, he'd never seen him before in his _life_. His guess was, since the child was obviously not a demon, and because of the particular language the boy was speaking, the child was a dragon. A Ghost Dragon, specifically, likely no more than nine hundred years old, definitely no more than a thousand. Kage was dead silent, and it felt like an eternity had passed before the silence was broken again. He didn't know who it was that had spoken or what had been said—although he was _fairly_ certain that Farore had voiced his name at some point. His hearing wouldn't work, and all his mind could focus on what the child.

And if the child was here…

"…No… no… not her…" He couldn't even hear his own voice. His throat felt like it was closing up and it felt like no sound could escape. He felt Koboku's hand tighten slightly on his shoulder, and finally his mind just shut off. He abruptly shut everything out of his mind. He shoved Koboku's hand and just teleported as far away as he could with what small amount of his powers remained. He didn't know where he was, and frankly he didn't care. He just leaned back against the wall, sinking down to his knees. "Not her… It can't be her…" He kept muttering that under his breath, closing his eyes and lowering his head, resting it against his knees, repeating the words over and over, like a mantra to save his sanity.

He didn't know how long he was there, how long he sat in that corner muttering to himself. He just barely recognized the sound of footsteps, of people talking. Finally, someone grabbed him roughly by his shoulders and shook him slightly.

"Get a hold of yourself!"

Kage opened his eyes and found him staring into Volvagia's eyes. Volvagia released him, and Kage sank back against the wall, staring blankly at his older brother, his mind still somewhat numb and detached. Volvagia knelt down in front of him, and Kage could see Farore and Koboku behind him. "What the heck was that all about?" Volvagia asked, "What is it about that kid that made you freak?"

"…Where did he come from?" Kage asked hoarsely, "When did he show up?"

"Um… he showed up shortly before Koboku went after you," Volvagia replied slowly, apparently confused, "As for where he came from, I have no idea. He just showed up out of nowhere."

"…Was he with anyone? Or was he alone?"

"He was alone, but what does that have to do with anything?" Volvagia asked with a frown.

"The boy is a Ghost Dragon. Apparently, if he is one, and his primary language is draconic, the mother is one, too." Kage clenched his fists slightly. "So, Volvagia, tell me, what do you know of Ghost Dragons?"

"…" The response was all Kage needed as proof. His brother knew nothing.

"Ghost Dragons are a vicious race, which is about all that is known," Kage explained, rather tersely, "The females, which are the dominant, more-common gender, tend to be _much_ more vicious, and always make sure they get what they want. They never take no for an answer, and if any resistance is met, they resort to violence and abuse." There was a pause before he added, rather harshly, "Especially when it comes to mating."

Volvagia flinched slightly, and Koboku and Farore exchanged glances. They were silent for a long, long time, and Kage had lowered his head again, closing his eyes as he rested his head on his knees. "We're so sorry…" Farore said softly, almost inaudibly.

"…I'm assuming you thought that I had done as my father had, that I had forced myself on some poor girl." He lifted his head slightly, opening one eye to look up at them. "You never suspected that it might have been the other way around."

Silence was their response.

Kage studied them for a moment before standing, leaning slightly against the wall. "Well, let's head back. You can explain it to the others. I'm not repeating the story. I shut it out for almost a millennium. I don't want to talk about it again."

"What are you going to do about the boy?" Koboku asked.

Kage did not respond. His gaze lowered, drifting slightly to one side, as though he was deep in thought.

"Seiryu…" Volvagia said slowly.

"Shut up," Kage said.

"Seiry--"

"Shut up, or I'll lose my train of thought." Kage narrowed his eyes slightly. His siblings were silent, exchanging glances as they tried to figure out what he meant. Then, after a few moments passed, Kage straightened, but still did not look at them.

"What did you just do?" Koboku asked.

Kage remained silent but just smirked slightly, a rather mischievous look crossing his face. Then, before they could react, he vanished. Volvagia groaned, pulling at his hair. "What the hell! What's he up to now!"

Farore was silent, but she smiled, laughing softly. Koboku looked over at her and raised one eyebrow curiously, but he soon smiled as well.

"It's a nice change…" Farore said softly, glancing at Koboku.

"Hopefully we won't ruin it for him this time," Koboku added with a nod.

"What the hell are you two going on about!" Volvagia yelled at them.

"Big kid stuff. You wouldn't understand." Farore grinned. Volvagia scowled but said nothing.

"Hey guys," came Jabun's voice. They turned towards the voice and watched as Jabun, Nayru, and Din made their way over to them.

"What's up with Seiryu?" Din asked, crossing her arms over her chest, "He just flew out of here and took the kid with him."

"Before that, the child was starting to get excited, looking like he just couldn't sit still…" Nayru added.

"Well, it turns out that what we feared had happened was definitely not the case. It also turns out that there are a lot of things we don't know about our brother," Koboku said softly.

"We need to start giving him the benefit of the doubt, just as we would for each other," Farore added, "Sei… _Kage_ is still our brother, regardless of who his father was or not. We need to start treating him like family."

That was met with silence. It went unbroken for a long time, but Nayru was the first to break it.

"Hey you two," she said with a smile, "Wisdom is my thing. Don't put me out of a job here."

Farore and Koboku laughed.

"So, what about the child?" Din asked.

"Kage spoke with him just before they left." Koboku smiled. "Perhaps this is what he needs to finally get himself back to normal."

"But what about the child's _mother_…?" Jabun asked.

Koboku, Farore and Volvagia exchanged uneasy glances.

"…Kage will deal with that when the time comes…"

'

"Mommy, Daddy, wake up wake up!"

Link groaned, pulling the pillow over his head. He could feel Yugi shift slightly, a soft noise escaping her. Both were tired, and neither wanted to get up.

"WAKE UP!"

Link yelped and shot up in bed as the small body that was their daughter pounced on him. She giggled, hugging him tightly. "Hurry, hurry! There's a strange man outside! He wants to see you!"

Link grimaced, looking over at Yugi, who sat up, looking at their daughter confusedly. "A 'strange man'?"

"Yup! He looks like you, Mommy, but with dark hair and funny clothes!" Mable grinned. "He says he has a surprise for you."

Link and Yugi exchanged glances, and then all but leapt out of bed. Mable giggled and ran from the room, yelling something to her brother excitedly. Link was fishing through his clothes to find his tunic, and Yugi, who had found her clothes already and dressed herself, was doing her best to brush her hair, which had become rather unruly overnight.

"If that is who I think it is, this is obviously important," Yugi said, "I can't think of any reason he would show up out of nowhere with a 'surprise' after spending so long suffering through a depression."

"Well, I know from experience that your family is as strange as they come. But I agree, this can't be some petty thing…" He pulled on his tunic and, once Yugi had set the brush down, grabbed her wrist and they both fled the room, hurrying down the stairs and to the door, where Mable and Raven waited. The door was ajar, and whoever it was stood just outside. Link pulled the door open and froze, staring wide-eyed at the person standing outside. Sure enough, it was Kage, but more surprising was the child in his arms, who appeared to be no older than Mable and Raven, and was practically the spitting image of Kage, except with silver hair.

"Well hello, hero, it's been a while." Kage smirked.

"So it has, 'brother,'" Link said, smirking as well, "Do come in."

Kage nodded and, once Link moved aside, stepped in, sitting down on the couch. He held the child in his lap, smiling at Mable and Raven, who looked up at him curiously. The boy in his lap grinned at them all, waving excitedly. Mable grinned and waved back, and Raven managed a small smile and a slight wave, hiding behind his sister. Yugi smiled, seating herself next to Kage and hugging him tightly. Kage merely placed one hand on her arm and kissed her cheek gently. "Hello, Yugi."

"It's been a long time since I saw you last…" she said softly, "It's good to see that you are well." She smirked, pulling his ear. "But don't expect to get off easy for scaring me like that."

Kage laughed softly, batting her hand away.

Link laughed as well, but a small tug on his tunic turned his attention to Mable. "Daddy, who's that?" she asked, "Is that Uncle Kage?"

Link was silent, but he nodded, and a split second later the twins pounced on the former shadow deity, chattering excitedly—or, rather, Mable was talking up a storm, saying a lot and nothing at the same time, and easily making up for Raven's silence. Kage certainly appeared surprised, but pleased all the same. The child was startled, and he immediately clung to Kage, burying his face in the man's kimono.

"So, Kage, mind telling us what our young nephew's name is?" Link asked.

"…How did you--?"

"Yugi explained it to me, so you don't need to tell me what happened," Link replied, holding one hand up, "What's done is done, all we can do is accept it and move on." He smiled. "So, what's his name?"

"…Aki," Kage said, managing a small smile as he looked down at his son, "His name is Aki."

The child lifted his head at hearing his name, and Kage smiled, patting the boy's head gently. He spoke to him softly, pointing to each member of the family in turn, introducing them to the child. Link raised one eyebrow curiously, looking to Yugi confusedly, unable to identify the language. Yugi just smiled and shook her head, mouthing the word 'later' to him. When Kage finished, Aki smiled and nodded, waving to all of them, talking excitedly.

"So, Kage," Link said, clearing his throat, "Where do you plan on staying from now on?"

Silence.

"…You know, Kage, you can stay with us until you get a place," Yugi offered, placing her hand on Kage's shoulder, "We're more than willing to let you stay, and we're willing to look after Aki for you."

Kage was silent still, but he smiled, looking at Yugi as he nodded slowly. "…Thanks."

"Not a problem," Link said with a smirk, "We're family, so we have to look out for each other. Besides, Mable and Raven have been waiting forever to meet you."

Mable and Raven grinned, immediately tackling Kage as though on cue. There was a yelp as the raven-haired deity fell backwards, pinned by the three five-year-olds. It took a long while for Link and Yugi's laughter to subside, and Mable and Raven were eventually pulled off their uncle. Once Kage had recovered from the "attack", Yugi led him upstairs to the spare bedroom, and then went back downstairs to chase the twins to bed. Kage meanwhile got Aki to bed, tucking him in carefully. He felt strange… a warm almost fuzzy feeling seemed to fill him at the moment, something that was strange and alien to him. Whenever Aki smiled at him, he couldn't help but smile back. Perhaps this was the result of fatherhood…?

"Daddy…" Aki said in draconic, raising one arm, placing his hand on Kage's cheek, "I love you."

Kage was mildly surprised by this. They'd only been together for a few hours, and the boy was so certain that he could trust and love him like a father. Regardless, Kage smiled and placed his hand on Aki's before leaning down and kissing the boy on the forehead.

"…I love you, too, Aki."

* * *

Author's Notes: Yay! Teh fluff!

We're drawing oh-so-much-closer to the end of our story! I figure in another 2-5 chapters, we'll be done. But fear not! I plan on writing a sequel! In fact, this is part of a trilogy I plan on writing, assuming all goes well.

I hope you enjoyed Chapter 20! -flees-


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Several days passed since Kage and Aki came to stay with Link and Yugi, and every day Kage was gone from dawn to dusk. Normally, that would have raised suspicion with Link and Yugi, but the loving relationship between Kage and Aki was proof enough that Kage was still taking his being a father seriously. While he was gone, though, Aki was always with Mable and Raven, always trailing after them. Mable would often get frustrated by the speech barrier, but the calm, level-headed Raven took it all in stride, and eventually came up with a plan to help Aki learn to speak Hylian. It required a lot of paper and crayons, but it got the job done. Whenever something was asked of Aki or told to him, Raven would draw it out, and Aki would understand, and thus draw his own response. Surprisingly, the dragon-child was very talented with drawing, so if he wanted or needed something, he could easily convey the message. Eventually, they even had set templates for "I'm hungry," "It's time for bed," and other such things.

However, despite his cheerful exterior, Aki had his own share of troubles.

This became painfully evident one night, when a piercing scream woke Link and Yugi, sending them running to the room where Kage and Aki were staying. Upon opening the door, they found Kage sitting on Aki's bed, holding the boy in his arms, trying desperately to calm him down. The boy was hysterical, crying his eyes out and going on and on about something in Draconic. From the grim look on Kage's face, it obviously wasn't good. He spotted Link and Yugi and shook his head, mouthing to them "I'll tell you later."

Link and Yugi exchanged troubled glances but left, closing the door before slowly going downstairs to the dining room. Link sat down in one of the chairs, and Yugi went to the kitchen for a few moments, returning with tea. The two sat there in silence for a long time before hearing Kage come down the stairs, listening as his footsteps drew nearer, and Yugi lifted her head when she saw her brother standing in the doorway.

"…So what was that about?" Link asked softly, looking up at Kage as well, watching as the god sank heavily into a nearby chair.

"…Night terror," Kage replied, "He has them occasionally… Usually he just has nightmares but this is one of the first times I've seen him react like that…"

"What caused it?" Yugi asked, frowning slightly, "What was the dream about?"

Kage was silent for a long time, and Link and Yugi exchanged glances again. "…Kage… despite what things may have seemed like before… we _are_ here for you… and Aki as well. You are family. You can tell us anything, especially if there's any possible way we can help," Link said calmly, placing his hand on Kage's shoulder. Kage remained silent for a few moments longer and eventually he shook his head.

"…There's no way any of us can really help… what he dreams about is in the past… the only thing that can be done has to be done by me alone…" He lowered his head as he propped his arms on the table, resting his chin on his hands. "…Spirit Dragons tend to be a vicious breed, as you should remember, Yugi. They abuse their young and force themselves upon their mates. The females tend to be the most violent. That's how Aki was created in the first place." He trailed off for a moment. "…Aki's mother, unfortunately, is of… higher standing than most females… she is the alpha… and alpha's have a voracious sexual appetite. They have the ability to 'screen' through what suitors may mate with them, allowing only a specific one to actually give them a child, in spite of how many suitors they've had before and after the conception." He trailed off again, well aware that the biology lesson was making Link a bit ill, although Yugi was taking it all calmly.

"…Because Aki's mother has an insatiable sexual appetite, it is all but expected of her to have a different suitor every day…" Kage's voice was soft, nigh-inaudible. "Whenever she would take a suitor for the night, she would put him through a 'test'… a test of strength, to see if he is worthy of bedding her…" He trailed off again, hanging his head, his fingers entwined in his hair, his hands clenched, pulling at the ebony strands.

"…What was the 'test'…?" Link asked hesitantly, almost afraid to voice the question, his voice trembling as he spoke. Yugi had turned her head away, looking as though she would be ill, and he himself was pale. In fact, the moment he asked the question, Yugi left the room, fleeing up the stairs to the bedroom, out of earshot. Kage was silent for a moment, choking on his words before he could finally spit them out.

"They had to force themselves on Aki."

"WHAT!" Link exclaimed, all color leaving his face, his sapphire eyes wide as he stared at the shadow deity.

"…That's what he told me… it's been happening for the past few centuries… since he was the equivalent of a three-year-old…" Kage said hoarsely, "Whenever his mother couldn't find a suitor for the night, she would use him instead, and she would beat him within an inch of his life if he fought back." He looked up at Link, and the Hero now could see the tears in those silver eyes, the stains left from those that had already fallen. "…Because of that he's still afraid… he's terrified that she'll come back for him, that he'll have to go through all that again." He turned his head away. "He said he was surprised the first night he came to stay here… he said he had expected you, me or Yugi to force ourselves on him…"

"…that's sick… that's beyond low…" Link scowled, hiding his face in his hands. "Not even Ganondorf would condescend to that level…"

"I know… if it were widely known among the other females, either they would hunt her down and kill her, or it would become a common form of abuse among them…" Kage said bitterly, "The males can't do anything because they're smaller, weaker, and those that do know don't care because it meant they got to sleep with the alpha."

"…If she ever shows her face around here, I'll kill her…" Link mumbled, "Just like I did when Volvagia was controlled by Ganondorf…"

"I hate to break it to you, Hero, but she's stronger than that. She managed to take down even me, and I'm stronger than Volvagia when in dragon form." He looked at Link. "Trust me, I would be glad if you did kill her, but Spirit Dragons don't die easy. They could probably outlive the very gods if they didn't let their vicious nature control them. Hell, it's believed by some that they actually created the universe before they were corrupted, but who knows at this point… the point is that she can't be killed, and I'm the only one who can deal with her."

"If she can't be killed, then what do you propose to do?" Link asked, staring at him incredulously.

"…I intend to break her…" Kage frowned at Link's expression and immediately shook his head. "Not like that! I'm not going to sink to her level." He turned his head and stared at the far wall. "…The females tend to pride themselves on their dominance over the males, and on their children, if they claim a rare, strong mate to sire them."

"And because Aki is _your_ son, I take it that means you are considered a 'rare, strong mate'?" Link asked.

Kage nodded. "By proving myself in standing up to her and claiming full rights to raising Aki, she is shamed, and when an alpha is shamed, they're usually exiled, and exile often means death, as Spirit Dragons easily move between realms, and thus there's no safe place for an exile to hide."

"…I guess that makes sense…" Link said softly, "…And I take it this means that since she takes pride in you both and her dominance over you, she _will_ come back for him?"

Kage was silent as he nodded, slowly standing. "…I'm going back to bed… I put a spell on Aki so he would sleep peacefully… but I still want to be there with him…"

Link nodded slowly, and the god left in silence, and Link listened as the footsteps ascended the stairs and eventually faded into silence. Link sat there for a long, long time before standing, gathering up the untouched glasses of tea and carrying them to the kitchen. His face bore no expression, and he felt like he was hollow, like he had no soul, no heart, no emotion. He slowly made his way up the stairs, stopping at the bedroom he and Yugi shared. The door was ajar, and he could see that Yugi was lying in bed, probably having cried herself to sleep.

He studied her for a long time before pulling the door closed, continuing down the hall. He stopped again, this time in front of Kage and Aki's room. The door was shut, but Link could hear what sounded like Kage singing softly to his son in draconic. He could all but see it in his head, the former shadow deity sitting on the bed, next to a sleeping Aki, stroking the boy's silvery hair as he sang to him. It was a nice image, certainly better than the one he'd witnessed earlier, a hysterical child clinging to his father while crying over a horrible nightmare.

He knew what that was like… the twins had experienced nightmares frequently while in Ikana, and often at the same time. He would always be there for him, holding them close, talking to them soothingly… what the Great Deku Tree had done when he was young, to a degree. A tree could not hold a child, but the soothing words still helped. However, Link could have sworn once that he had woken up in the arms of a man, a young adult with green hair and gentle brown eyes. The man just held him close and spoke to him calmly, his voice just like the Deku Tree's, and soon Link fell asleep again. At the time, he had convinced himself it was just a dream, but now that he knew about Koboku, about who the Deku Tree really was, he now knew the truth. He owed it to Koboku that he was able to be a good parent.

Link eventually snapped out of his reverie and shook his head, taking a deep breath. The singing had stopped, and he assumed that Kage had fallen asleep. Link continued his progression down the hall until he came to the twins' room, slowly pushing the door open. The two had surprisingly slept through Aki's night terror, something which Link was thankful for. He moved slowly into the room, and as he drew nearer he noticed that Raven was not in his own bed, but in Mable's. Apparently he'd had a bad dream as well. If the twins didn't suffer a nightmare at the same time, they had their own way of reacting. Mable would come crying and sobbing to her parents, but Raven just climbed into bed with his sister. Mable didn't mind his company, and always acted like a big sister, talking softly to Raven and petting his hair, "just like Mommy would do."

Link walked over to Mable's bed, studying the twins for a moment before carefully sitting down on the edge of the bed, making sure not to disturb their slumber. He watched them sleep for a moment, his hand reaching out to lightly caress those soft golden-blonde locks. He felt a pang in his heart as he thought about what happened to Aki, unfortunately able to imagine the twins going through the same pain, but not by his hand nor by Yugi's. He closed his eyes, his hand clutching at his breast as he waited for the pain to pass. He eventually opened his eyes, looking to the twins again. Mable had turned onto her side in her sleep, and now both twins were facing each other. Link couldn't help but smile. There would come a time when the twins would no longer need him or Yugi, but they would always have each other. The thought made him feel reassured that he and Yugi were good parents, that they were doing this right.

Link watched them for a moment longer before he leaned over, given the twins each a kiss on the cheek. "…I love you both very much…" he whispered, "Always remember that…" He stayed there for yet another moment before forcing himself to stand, leaving the room in silence. Then, he went back downstairs, seating himself at the table, but not before fixing himself a cup of tea.

He didn't go back to sleep that night.

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh em eff gee! I got another chapter done in a day's time! Whee! -runs around in circles-

And yes, people, my characters have tragic pasts. That's where I manage to put the _life_ into them. It makes sure I don't have mary sues ('perfect' charries), although Kage may have seemed like one when I first made him just because he was the ideal guy amongst my friends even though he has major angst issues. o.O; He wasn't, he just seemed like one.

But as for Aki's life, I made that up long ago as I was rping with Selphie Louise, back when Kage and Selphie were meant to be _married_. Unfortunately, the viciousness of Spirit Dragons is as such, and it was that way long before Aki was even a thought in my mind. That's one of the reasons people didn't like Kage. Besides the whole 'bastard-son-of-a-half-demon-death-god' thing.

In other news, once Children of the Gods is finished (let's see if I can do it before the story is a year old!), it shouldn't be long before the first chapter of the next story, Blackened Dawn, is posted. Blackened Dawn will be rated mature, most likely, as it will contain graphic stuff like violence and possible rape. But don't worry. If there is stuff like rape in it, I will put some sort of warning sign so you can skip past it without fear of scarring your mind. It should be safe for people 16, and I said so because I planned it out when I was 16, but because of AD/HD, my mind tends to be a bit more... mature than people my age. Or so I've been told. o.O

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Please review! And show to all your friends! XD I've been advertising to all my friends and they're reading it. At least one person wanted to strangle me for that long cliffhanger I left you all with... Gomen ne. -bows, then poofs away-

And just to tease you further, for those who want to see a happy ending for Kage and Aki, you have to wait until the Epilogue! X3 Bwahahaha! -flees-


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

The days continued to pass like normal, and Kage was still gone from sunrise to sunset, although there was a rare occasion where he would show up late, between ten and twelve o'clock at night. He would always show up looking exhausted, occasionally coming back with bits of leaf and Deku nut in his hair, and he would always be wet from washing up in the river before coming to the house. Things were definitely starting to look suspicious, but Yugi and Link paid it no mind—or, at least, they tried not to. But after nearly two and a half weeks of this, it was hard _not_ to question what he was doing throughout the day. But whenever they asked, Aki would always come zooming in, and the two would vanish to their room to talk amongst themselves. Then, the next time they saw him, he would be asleep.

One night, Link and Yugi were getting ready for bed as they heard Kage and Aki talking excitedly in the next room. Link was sprawled out on the bed, and Yugi was standing in front of the mirror, brushing out her hair. Link listened silently for a moment, trying to understand what they were saying, but he soon sighed exasperatedly, looking over at Yugi.

"Translation, please?"

"It's no good," she replied, shaking her head, "I don't know draconic. Besides, I can't hear them all that well. It definitely seems like they're happy about something, though."

Link sighed, closing his eyes as he ran his fingers through his hair. "What in Hyrule could possibly make them so happy at ten o'clock at night, with Kage gone for at least twelve hours of the day?" Yugi shrugged, but did not respond. Link groaned as he rolled over onto his stomach. "Maybe Kage has a new lady friend."

"I honestly doubt it. Kage's still got issues with commitment, and he's afraid of being hurt again." Yugi set down the brush and walked over to the bed, leaning down slightly to rub his back. "He's probably trying to find a place for him and Aki to live."

"But there aren't any homes available in Kakariko or Hyrule Town. Believe me; I checked when you and I got married."

"Well, we can't rule it out as a possibility," Yugi said, lying down on top of him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Well, would you care to place a bet on that?" he asked with a smirk.

"Sure. If I'm right, you have to do all the housework for a week."

"Except cooking." Link raised one eyebrow.

"Except cooking," Yugi laughed.

"And if I win… you have to…" He gave her a sly look out of the corner of his eye. Yugi laughed and bit his ear.

"Pervert."

"Thank you." He laughed, turning over onto his back, waiting as Yugi repositioned herself, laying down on top of Link again, resting her head on his chest. Link sighed softly, rubbing her back gently. "…How do we actually prove it?" he wondered absently, his hand faltering slightly before instead moving to stroke her hair.

"Hmm…" Yugi hummed thoughtfully, "Well… you and I are supposed to be taking the kids to Death Mountain to see Darunia, right?" She smirked.

"…Yeah…?" Link replied, raising one eyebrow curiously.

"Since Darunia's the only person who can really scare Kage, I think bringing big brother Daru to visit Kage in the forest could scare it out of him." She giggled.

"…You're cruel, Yugi," Link said with a soft laugh.

Yugi smirked seductively. "You know you love me."

"That I do."

'

Again, Kage was gone early the next morning, except this time he left a note. Unfortunately, the note was for Aki, and thus was written in draconic. Upon reading it, the boy hopped up and down and giggled excitedly before zooming off to get ready for the trip to Death Mountain. When they finally got going, the trip went relatively fast, even though the three children rode on Epona and Link and Yugi had to walk. The trip up the mountain was certainly eventful. The moment they saw a Goron—who turned out, unfortunately, to be rolling down the mountain carrying a bomb flower. At the sound of the explosion, they all jumped, but Aki was _gone_. It took them all a minute to realize that he was hiding on a nearby ledge—which, they noted, happened to be a good ten feet up. And, to make things worse, another bomb-flower-carrying Goron came down the mountain soon after. This time, the explosion didn't make them jump, but Mable was laughing and Raven had a grin on his face. Aki, however, jumped on Link's back, clinging to him. Link just smiled and offered to carry him the rest of the way. As it turned out, since _every_ Goron they encountered happened to either be carrying bomb flowers or was stuffing their face eating rocks, Aki didn't want to get down even when they had reached Goron City. Thus, everyone laughed at Link's expense.

Mable and Raven certainly seemed to be in a hurry to get down to where Darunia's room was, but because they didn't know the way, and it was a long fall down from any one of the ledges, they were forced to walk beside their mother, holding her hands. Mable was grinning and waving to every Goron she saw, and they would smile and wave back wholeheartedly. Once they were on the lower level, Yugi wasn't able to keep them held back any longer and they all but dragged her to Darunia's room. Link rolled his eyes and jogged to keep up, keeping his hold on Aki strong. Once they were in the room though, Link stopped, setting down Aki, who hid behind him at the site of the massive Goron leader before them. Raven and Mable had pounced on him excitedly, and he now held the twins on his shoulders, grinning at Link and Yugi.

"Hey there, you two lovebirds! It's been a while since you came to visit. How've you been?"

"We've been doing well," Yugi said with a smile, "We've all settled in. The twins like living by the lake, it turns out."

"Yes! It's fun!" Mable exclaimed.

"And sometimes we get to go fishing, and the other day we saw a Zora!" Raven added.

"Good for you two," Darunia said, glancing up at the twins. He looked at Raven curiously. "You know, Raven, that's the first time you've actually spoken to me."

Raven giggled and blushed slightly.

"Raven's getting over being shy thanks to his cousin." Yugi grinned, and Link rolled his eyes.

'_Here we go…_'

"Cousin?" Darunia echoed, raising one eyebrow curiously. Obviously they weren't talking about _his_ son, so… that meant… "You don't mean…?"

Yugi smiled, gently taking Aki's hand and pulling him out from behind Link.

"Aki, I want you to say hi to your uncle Daru," Yugi said with a smile.

Aki was silent for a moment, but he soon managed a weak smile, waving slightly. "…Hi…"

Link looked at Aki in surprise, as did Darunia, although for a different reason. Apparently Aki had been progressing quicker than he'd thought in learning to speak Hylian…

"You mean he's _Kage_'_s_ son!" Darunia asked incredulously, staring at her with wide eyes.

"That's right," Yugi said in a sing-song voice, smirking.

"Darunia, before you fly off the handle, there _is_ more to the story than you'd think," Link said quickly, "And trust me, I'll explain it to you later, sans the underaged."

Darunia was silent, but nodded. Aki tugged lightly on Link's tunic. "Can we go see my Daddy now? He said he wants to show you all a surprise." Aki grinned excitedly, bouncing up and down.

Link, once again startled by the boy speaking Hylian, nodded slowly before glancing at Yugi and Darunia. Aki giggled and grabbed Link's hand, pulling him out of the room, with Yugi and Darunia following behind. Believe it or not, the kid was stronger than he looked… Link nearly fell over when the boy pulled on his arm. Aki led them to the tunnel connecting Goron City to the forest, easily navigating through the lost woods, eventually leading them off the main path. Link was starting to wonder if the boy really _did_ know where he was going.

That thought quickly vanished, almost as quickly as it had formed in the Hero's mind.

They came to a clearing, one Link didn't recognize. It was extremely large, had a clean stream running through on one side, and a simple house in the center. Kage was stretched out on the roof, his hands folded under his head. Apparently, the former deity was napping. Darunia set Mable and Raven down on the ground, looking up at the god before cupping his hands around his mouth, taking a deep breath.

"KAGE!"

It would be an understatement to say the Goron had yelled. He had _bellowed_ loudly, startling the Sheikah god out of his slumber, causing him to jump several inches in the air. There was a loud yelp, and Kage tumbled off the roof, luckily landing in a pile of thatch. The three five-year-olds giggled loudly, and Link and Yugi couldn't suppress their own laughter as Kage sat up, pulling bits of foliage from his hair, coughing. He managed a strange grin, looking at the children.

"And that, kids, is why you never play on the roof."

Kage stood up, brushing himself off, readjusting his kimono and hakama. Aki ran over to him, pouncing on his father, who deftly caught him, lifting the boy up onto his shoulders.

"Is it finished? Is it finished?" Aki chirped excitedly.

"Just about," Kage said with a grin, "It took me a while, but I got it done. This will be our home from now on."

"Looks like you owe me three weeks of housework, Link," Yugi said with a smug grin, giggling as Link pinched her side.

"So that's what you were up to?" Link asked, "You hired someone to build you a house?"

"Not quite," Kage said, "I was building this all myself. That's why I'd always wash up before coming back inside. Working from dawn to dusk takes a toll on you."

"So even the mighty god of shadows gets a little ripe sometimes, eh?" Darunia cracked, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Hey, working in this heat, even _you_ would start to smell a little pungent. You don't need to prove it to me, though." Kage smirked. "You stink enough as it is. If you did that much labor from dawn to dusk, I'd keel over from the scent."

"I know the perfect way to kill you then," Darunia retorted.

Mable and Raven were laughing so hard that they were sprawled on their backs in the grass, and Link and Yugi were doubled over in their mirth. Finally, everyone managed to calm down, and Kage put Aki down, rubbing his neck slightly.

"So, when do you plan on moving in?" Link asked, "It's not going to collapse on you at any moment, will it?"

"Nope. In fact, to make sure, I would go inside, run up and down the stairs, jump around, and do anything else this hyper child would do just to make sure the building was sturdy enough." Kage patted Aki's head, and the child beamed proudly. "If it's okay with Aki, we were planning on moving in tonight."

"Awwww… but then we can't play with Aki anymore…" Mable said with a pout.

"Yes you can," Yugi replied, "Just not as often. He's still your cousin, and he's not that far away. Your father and I can bring you to visit."

Raven was silent for a moment, and then looked like he was struck with an idea. "Hey Mommy, can we have dinner at Uncle Kage's house?"

Yugi raised one eyebrow curiously, looking over at Kage, who was doing his best (and failing miserably) at pretending to be nonchalant. Apparently he'd planted the idea in the boy's head.

"Yes, we can. After all, your Uncle Kage is a magnificent cook. Even better than me," Yugi said with a smile.

"Really?" Mable, Raven, and Link asked curiously. Link looked over at Kage, who was actually blushing, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes, really." Yugi said with a nod.

"Now, if you're done embarrassing me," Kage said, clearing his throat, "How about you come inside? I'll give you the grand tour." The others nodded in assent and followed the deity inside. A pair of silver eyes gleamed from the shadows of the trees, watching them silently, that icy gaze seeming to pierce through the very walls, staring directly at the raven-haired shadow god.

_-…You got away from me once, lifemate… I won't let you run from me again…-_

_

* * *

_

Author's Notes: Le gasp! What lurks in the shadows of those branches? And what do they want from Kage? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of CotG! O.O

...blah. o.o

By the way, it turns out I might have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Fun. It means I have to eat lots of sugar stuffs like candies and whatnot (YUCK!) but the plus side is that I get to drink soda. O.O Yayness! guzzles soda by the liter burp oops >.>; Anyways, I'll hopefully post soon. o.o And to add to the madness, not only do I have HifC to finish and the two CotG sequels to write, I also plan on writing ANOTHER Zelda fic (yay for shounen-ai Sheikah obsession!), and an angsty mystery fic based on the anime FAKE. O.O Yayness! -flees-


	24. Chapter TwentyThree

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

The only sounds to be heard in the pitch black of night were the chirping of crickets and cicadas, playing a tinny lullaby throughout the forest. Both Kage and Aki were asleep, sleeping in the same room for the time being. Aki slept in the bed, while Kage slept on the floor. Both father and son were fast asleep, blissfully unaware of the dark shadow creeping through their house, crawling nimbly along the floor, moving silently, a pair of silver eyes gleaming in the darkness. It crept into the bedroom, freezing once it spotted Kage. It seemed to smirk, slinking over to the sleeping god, agile fingers working that kimono open.

In an instant, the deity's eyes snapped open and he promptly shoved the thing away. It landed gracefully, raising itself up on two legs. It was a woman, and she appeared to be very much like a Hylian, although her hair and eyes were a piercing silver color, her flesh pale as the very moonlight. She had a rather voluptuous figure, scantily clad for both the reasons of mobility, and the want to entice the shadow god. He paled when he realized just who she was.

"Sheira…!"

"What's the matter, lifemate? Aren't you happy to see me?" She smirked, sauntering over to him, trying to be as seductive as possible. "I've been looking _everywhere_ for you… so many realms… and I've finally found you." She leaned down to brush his hair out of his face, and (much to Kage's dismay) the shadow god absently took note that she looked like she could very well fall out of that short dress. He grimaced, drawing his leg back and landing a kick in her stomach, sending her sprawling, crashing against the door. The noise startled Aki from his sleep and he sat up drowsily. However, upon spotting Sheira, he shrieked, hiding under the blanket. Kage grimaced. He had to keep her away from Aki at all costs…

Kage darted forward and, the second the woman got to her feet, tackled her, sending both god and dragoness tumbling down the stairs, locked in each other's grip. The humanoid she-dragon snarled, her eyes widening as she leaned forward, sinking her fangs into Kage's shoulder. He let out a shout of pain, his eyes narrowing as he hurled her across the room. He couldn't allow himself to underestimate her. Woman or not, she was a threat to him and to Aki. He had to fight, and he had to win. For his freedom... and for that of his son.

Sheira snarled at him, letting out a beast-like shriek. She arched forward, large silver wings sprouting from her back. Kage narrowed his eyes. They would have to take this fight outside… if they fought inside, they could bring the house crashing down on them. It wasn't because Kage had worked so hard to build it. He could easily remake it. But if it collapsed with Aki inside…

…No.

He roared, rushing forward, grabbing her around the waist as he ran for the door, carrying her out into the cool night air and hurling her against a nearby tree. Then, he let out a bestial bellow, silver wings sprouting from his own back, his nails turning into claws, his teeth into fangs. The transformation got his blood pumping, sending adrenaline rushing through him. Such a feeling… he'd never felt so _alive_…!

He snarled as Sheira rose to her feet, seemingly unhurt, but very pissed off. "Sheira, I am _not_ your lifemate… I will not allow you to control me, and I will not let you hurt Aki again! I'm challenging you, female!"

"So be it," Sheira hissed with a smirk, "If you win, I leave you two alone forever. If _I_ win… you are both _mine_!"

Without another word, she leapt at him, snarling like a beast. Kage rushed forward to meet her attack, blocking and dodging a barrage of gleaming claws and biting fangs. She was strong, no doubt about that, but because of the transformation both had gone through, their skin was as tough and thick as dragon hides. They could not put a single mark on one another, and the attacks hardly hurt at all. If anything, they merely stung.

Kage waited and waited and waited, blocking and dodging, trying to find an opening, but it was harder that he'd thought it would be. She was fast, almost too fast for even him. He grimaced, shifting to block one of her attacks… but felt nothing. She had feinted, and he had fallen for it, leaving himself open. She kicked him hard between the legs, and he made a sharp noise, nearly doubling over. That blow could easily have killed a mortal man, but his dragon hide flesh minimized most of the damage, but it still hurt like hell.

"That… was… low…" he growled out.

"There are no rules in a challenge, and girls fight dirty," Sheira said with a proud smirk.

"Oh really… too bad it didn't work too well." He punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. He slammed her against a nearby tree, pinning her with one hand on her throat, summoning a sword in his other hand. He held the tip of the blade right in front of her face, as though threatening to stab her right through the forehead, right between those piercing silver eyes.

"I win."

"That's no fair! You cheated!" Sheira gasped out, straining to breathe.

"You said yourself that there are no rules in a challenge. I did nothing dishonorable, and there was no announcement saying no weapons involved. Now accept your defeat, or I'll kill you right now."

She stared at that sword, her gaze shifting between him and the blade. She was silent for the longest time and she grimaced, closing her eyes.

"…Fine… I admit my defeat…"

Kage was silent, studying her carefully. "Good. Now leave and never return, and never _ever_ bother me or Aki again." He released her. She only laughed, turning her gaze towards the window of the bedroom Kage and Aki shared, her wings spreading as she prepared to take flight.

There was a flash of steel cutting through the darkness, following by a pained, banshee-like wail. Sheira fell backwards shrieking in pain, her hands pressed to her face, as though desperately trying to staunch the flow of blood. Kage scowled at her, bearing his fangs.

"That is punishment for not honoring the challenge and its terms. Be glad I don't kill you for what you did to my son and to me. Now begone. The world shall know from that disfiguring scar that you have fallen, that you have lost your power over both me and my son."

She laid there for a moment, whimpering in pain. Kage snarled.

"I SAID GO!"

She winced and immediately shifted to dragon form, taking flight and soaring high into the air, vanishing into nothingness. Kage stared for a long time, eventually banishing the blade, his wings disappearing, and his features returning to normal. He sighed, groaning as he sank to his knees, the effects of transformation and the pain from all that abuse taking its toll on him. He would have been content to collapse right there and sleep in the cool grass, but he had to go back inside. He had to make sure Aki was all right.

Grunting, he forced himself to his feet, swaying uneasily as he stood. He moved slowly towards the door, feeling like the world was tilting beneath his feet. Vertigo. He managed to get inside, shutting and locking the door, having to lean against it for a few moments before attempting to go up the stairs, all but crawling up them as he made his way to the bedroom. Aki wasn't on the bed, which worried him. He looked around uneasily.

"Aki? Where are you?"

"…Daddy…?"

The sound came from under the bed, and Kage hurried over, getting down on his hands and knees to peer under the bed. Aki was lying flat on his stomach, pressing himself against the far wall, his silver eyes wide with fear. Seeing his father, though, he hesitantly crawled out, immediately jumping into his father's arms.

"…Is she gone…?"

"…Yes, Aki. She's gone. She'll never hurt you again."

Aki was silent, nodding slightly, his face buried in Kage's chest. Kage just held the boy close, gently stroking the child's hair, a small contented smile on his face.

He had done it… He had won…

"…Let's go to sleep, Aki…"

"…Okay, Daddy."

Kage stood up and set Aki down on the bed, pulling the blankets up over him. He moved to lay down on the floor, but his son's hand clutching the sleeve of his kimono stopped him. He looked to Aki, staring at him for a brief moment, eventually smiling tiredly, leaning over and giving the boy a kiss on the forehead. He climbed in bed next to Aki, holding the child close. He would protect his son from any nightmares. They had no more reason to be afraid.

They were finally free.

Koboku sat on a high tree branch just outside the house, peering into the window, watching his youngest sibling sleep. He couldn't help but smile, happy for his brother and nephew. They would remain together for many centuries, both immortals living their many years out in happiness. Eventually, they would part, but that was not to pass a long, long time. For now, they were together, and they were happy. That was what counted.

"Hey, what're you doing out here?"

Koboku snickered at the sound of Volvagia's voice. Apparently he had come to check on Kage as well. The fire god appeared next to Koboku on the branch, peering into the window as well.

"I live here, remember? This is my domain. And as I can recall, _you_ live on the mountain."

"H-hey!" Volvagia sputtered, "I'm allowed to check on Seiryu too, y'know!"

"I know that," Koboku said, patting Volvagia's head, "And that's good. It shows that you are maturing. Finally."

"Shaddup." He batted Koboku's hand away.

The two were silent for a long while, watching Kage and Aki sleep peacefully. Then, Volvagia broke the silence.

"…So that's it, then… he's not allowed to stay with us anymore?"

"Not for another century. He'll live. He's attached to Yugi and her children, and he seems to enjoy living life as a mortal." Koboku lowered his head, sighing. "All we can do is accept it, and be there for him when he needs it."

"…All right. I guess I can wait a hundred years to get him back." Volvagia shrugged, popping his shoulder. "As long as he's happy, that's what matters, right?"

"Right." Koboku smiled.

Volvagia yawned, stretching. "At any rate, I'll be going now. I'll see you later, Koboku." He vanished. Koboku turned his attention back to Kage, a small smile creeping across his face.

"Don't worry, little brother… soon enough, your life will be whole again… just you wait and see…"

Those words were softly spoken, and the deity faded away, leaving only those words upon the wind to show he was ever there.

**Fin**

**

* * *

**

Author's Notes: Whee! The end! I may write an epilogue, I may not. In the long run, you'll see what Koboku's talking about.

What surprises me is that it took me only an hour to write this chapter o.o; That would explain why it's only 1800-something words...

And yeah, I have a lot I want to write. >.> What can I say? I'm creative. Now lessee...

Current stories: Hell is for Children, Children of the Gods

Upcoming Stories: Blackened Dawn, What I'm Made of

Ideas (likely not the titles tho): Otakon Gone Wrong (Naruto), For Whom the Bell Tolls (Zelda), and Never Cry (Fake)

Fun, fun, fun. o.o


	25. Epiloque

**The Legend of Zelda: Children of the Gods**

**Epilogue**

What caught her attention was the sniffling of a child. Someone was crying, probably a child separated from its parent. It was not that hard to find the source, as the child was to her right, huddled over near the wall, crouched down, his face buried in his hands. The child hardly seemed more than five years old, and he was a bit dirty, his knees scraped quite a bit. He had obviously fallen. Probably pushed. She made her way through the crowd, making her way over to him. She smiled at him as she knelt down in front of him, placing one gentle hand on the boy's head. The boy's head jerked up and he stared at her fearfully, his tear-filled eyes wide as he looked at her. She only smiled, hoping it would calm him somewhat.

"Why are you crying, young one? Are you lost?"

"U-uh…. Uh-huh…" he sobbed, rubbing his eyes as he nodded, "I can't find my daddy…"

"I'll help you look for him if you'd like." Her voice remained calm, gentle.

"…B-but Daddy said… I'm not s'posed to go anywhere with strangers."

"That means that he's very smart to give you such advice." She smiled again, patting his head gently. "How about this: we'll go stand over by the fountain in the center of town, where everyone can see us, and I'll just stand there and keep an eye on you while we wait for your father. Is that all right?"

The boy was silent for a long while, thinking it over long and hard. Finally, he nodded his head. "Yeah."

She smiled and held her hand out for him, and he placed one small hand in hers, and she helped him to his feet. They started towards the fountain, hand in hand, slowly making their way through the crowd, which was slowly beginning to thin out as the market was blanketed by the orange light of dusk.

"…what's your name, child?" she asked, looking at him.

"…Aki." He squeezed her hand lightly as they came to the fountain, and he sat on the edge. "What's yours?"

She studied him for a moment, a small smile appearing on her face as she sat next to him, brushing her hair away from her face, absently readjusting the scarf covering her left eye.

"Shiori."

'

It had taken Kage much longer than he'd expected to get the supplies he needed. There was a rather large crowd, and it was at least half an hour before it had thinned out. After making the purchase, Kage moved away from the crowd and looked over to where he had last seen his son, over near the tree. "Okay, Aki, let's head home--"

Aki wasn't there.

Grimacing, Kage looked around, hoping that he could spot the young child. It was possible he'd just wandered away, that he was still nearby. It's not like anything _bad_ had happened to him… right?

Because the sun was finally starting to set, the crowd was thinning out quickly as people returned to their homes and retired for the night. At that point, it was easy to find Aki, sitting on the edge of the fountain. He wasn't alone, though. Sitting beside him was what appeared to be a woman, who appeared to be a young adult, possibly in her late teens or early twenties. She was rather tall for a woman, maybe about two inches shorter than Kage, and she was rather slender, and it appeared to be that she hadn't eaten for a while. Her hair was long, reaching her shoulder blades, and it appeared to be an ebony shade, although it looked like the hair that framed her face was a lighter color, a grayish tint.

Or silver.

His heart skipped a beat for a moment as he made a sudden realization. He jogged over to where the two sat, and the moment Aki spotted him, the boy pounced on him, clinging to him tightly. "Daddy!" Kage smiled, gently stroking the boy's hair as he returned the embrace. Aki certainly seemed well, although he did appear to be bruised and scraped in a few places. Kage was hesitant to look over at the woman, almost afraid of what the truth may be. However, the woman's voice, which sent a shiver down his spine, easily clinched it.

"…Hello, Seiryu."

Kage lifted his head at the sound of his given name, one that he had turned his back on for centuries. Sure enough, it was his childhood friend that stood before of him, the woman he had once been betrothed to.

"…It's been a while, Shiori."

"Indeed it has," she said with a smile, brushing her hair back off her shoulder, "But now isn't the best time to talk about such things, as the drawbridge will be up soon. I would advise we head out now, and we can talk there."

Kage couldn't help but smile. That was Shiori for you. The woman had a head on her shoulders and she knew how to use it. Kage nodded as he picked up Aki with one arm, and he and Shiori headed towards the drawbridge, to Hyrule Field. Aki lightly tightly on his father's hair. "Daddy, do you two know each other?"

"Yes, Aki. Shiori and I were friends for a long time, back when we were children." Kage looked over at Shiori, who smiled at the memory. She had been the first to actually accept him as a friend, even when she knew what he was. But then again, being a demon herself, it was not all that surprising for them to bond, especially when everyone hated them for what they were, even their own families.

"So she's old like you?" Aki asked curiously, and both adults laughed at the question. Ah, the innocence of a child.

"She's not really _old_, Aki, and neither am I," Kage said as his laughter slowly subsided, although a grin remained.

"But I am older than your father," Shiori said with a smirk, "We're a pair of old fossils. But you don't care, do you?"

"Nope!" Aki responded with a grin.

Not long after they had crossed the drawbridge, they heard the telltale groan of the wood, the rhythmic clanking of the chains as the drawbridge was lifted, barring all entrances throughout the night. It was then that Kage looked up at Aki, and finally decided to ask about the scrapes his son had acquired. "What happened to you, Aki? And why weren't you where I told you to wait for me?"

Aki frowned, clinging to his father. "Some really big kids came over and were mean to me. They kept hitting me and calling me names. I tried to wait for you, but they wouldn't stop, so I ran away. Then they pushed me, laughed at me, and then went away. But then I couldn't find you anymore."

"Which is when I found him, I suppose," Shiori added with a slight nod, "I didn't know he was your son at first, but it was probably the fact that he looks so much like you did at his age… that's probably what caught my attention at first." She simled. "He was a smart boy, refusing to go with me because he didn't know me."

Kage smiled and patted Aki's back. "That's my boy." Aki grinned and hugged Kage tightly. The trio proceeded in silence for a few moments, but the silence was soon broken by the former shadow deity.

"So, Shiori, do you have a place to stay?"

Shiori was slightly taken aback by the question, but she remained silent, lowering her head as she shook her head in dissent. "No, I don't."

"…If you'd like, you can stay with us until you find a place of your own." Kage smiled.

"…No… I… I don't want to impose…" Shiori said softly, shaking her head again.

"Nonsense. Aki and I would gladly let you stay with us, right?" He looked at Aki, who nodded excitedly. "Besides… it's the least I can do for a friend."

"…….Thank you."

'

By the time they got to the house, Aki had fallen asleep in Kage's arms. While Shiori sat at the table in silence, Kage went upstairs to put the boy to bed. Shiori looked around silently, taking in her surroundings. She really didn't want to be here. She was in pain, her chest tightening to an insane degree. It was excruciating, and she was half tempted to leave right now, but Kage didn't give her the chance to flee. The moment she rose from her chair to move to the door, Kage came down the stairs, and she froze in her tracks, and would not look at him.

"…I take it there's something on your mind, Shiori?"

She remained silent.

"…Why don't we sit down? It'd be nice for us to talk. We haven't seen each other in a while." She heard Kage pull out a chair, sitting down. "…I was rather surprised to see you today. Why did you decide to become mortal?"

Ah, so he'd noticed? Shiori was silent for a moment longer, hanging her head. "It doesn't matter. I was a failure in my position as Goddess of Judgment, so I decided to step down… let someone more suitable take my place." She clenched her fists, biting her lip uneasily.

"…you're lying, Shiori…" She heard him stand, taking a step towards her. "You were the best for the job, even the High Council knew that…You only made one mistake… and even the Council wouldn't banish you for that."

"They didn't banish me, this was my choice." Shiori's throat tightened painfully.

"Then please tell me, Shoiri. Why?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It_ does_ matter."

"No, it doesn't--!" She felt a pair of arms close around her, and she tensed up, standing rigid as a board. She shut her eyes tightly, putting one shaky hand on his own. "…You're not going to be happy about it…"

"…That will have to depend on what it is…" He tightened his grip slightly.

"…" She pushed his hands away. "…I fell in love with a mortal."

Silence was Kage's response.

"…He was everything I could ever hope for… kind… compassionate… dedicated to family… but he was taken…"

"…Then why give up everything for him?"

"…Because it was better than never being able to see him again…" She slowly turned to face him, and was, to her surprise, pulled into another fierce embrace. From the strength of Kage's grip, he was refusing to let go. "…Seiryu…?"

"…Selphie went back to Ikana, Shiori. She isn't coming back."

Her eyes widened slightly as he whispered those words in her ear. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was immediately cut off by Kage's lips against her own. She felt her face burning, and the instant he finally pulled back, she averted her gaze. "What made you think I was talking about you?"

He laughed softly. "You forget, Shiori, I am telepathic. Your thoughts were rather loud, so it was hard not to know." He held her close, his embrace much gentler than before. "If you're willing to, I have one thing to ask of you…" He kissed her forehead gently, slowly pushing the scarf away from her eye, pulling it off completely. "…Look into your future… and tell me what you see."

Shiori was silent for a long time, staring at him almost confusedly. Finally, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she began to search. This was the only time in her long life where she actually looked for the outcome of something. To make things worse, her powers were waning. It would only be a matter of time before her second sight was almost gone. However, it did not take long for the visions to come. She saw happiness, security, a loving family and friends, everything she had thought she would never have. She would see herself, two children in her arms, one beside her, all with soft, silver hair, and silver eyes, the spitting image of their father, who stood beside her, smiling. She could see him clearly, and she smiled, tears escaping her eyes as she saw his face. She opened her eyes, and that face was still there, even now, smiling at her. She then threw her arms around Kage's neck, hugging him fiercely.

"…My Seiryu…"

**A New Beginning**

**

* * *

**

**Author's Notes:** YAY! Happyness and fluff! Whee! -dances-

It took me a while to actually write this... At first I was going to have it be somenoe completely new, but after talking to EmeraldDestiny ((Thanks lots, hon! Love you!)), the idea of using Shiori came to me. And then, it all fell together. n.n Yay!

If anyone objects, you can bite me! I like this pairing. Plus it really fits in with the future stories. So nyah. XP

Now, off to work on more stories. I may wait until I finish Hell is for Children or For Whom the Bells Toll before I post Blackened Dawn, but I dunno. We shall seeeee. -flees-


End file.
